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Pear

 		 Eaten fresh as a snack or cooked, Pears are a versatile fruit.  Some varieties hold their shape well while others bruise easily once ripe (and are therefore sweeter and juicier!).  You can poach them (whole, in wine and cinnamon with a shave of fresh nutmeg), sauté and caramelize them (with spices and brown sugar), bake them (in a crisp, pie, or a tart), dunk them in chocolate or cover them in caramel, toss them in a salad (with a soft cheese and walnuts!), use in a fruit platter, stuff them in French Toast, add slices to a sandwich, grate and bake them into muffins, make Pear upside-down cake, add them to a spicy chutney, make a charlotte, use them as a "cracker" for cheese, use them in your rice pudding, or simply display them on your counter before eating fresh; Pears are a delicious and versatile fruit.  
     
Anjou Pear - Stays light green when ripe and are good for eating raw or cooking.  Flavorful but not quite as juicy or flavorful as other Pears with a firmer texture, making them an ideal cooking Pear and for salads.  Also called the Green Anjou Pear. 
 		  
Red Anjou Pears have a dark red skin with a contrasting creamy interior.  They are more costly because of their showmanship.  
Bartlett Pear - Sweet and juicy make this a great snack.  They turn yellow and may have a pink blush as they ripen.  Most popular Pear - this is the one that is canned and dried too.  Also called the Yellow or Green Bartlett, and the Williams Pear.   
Red Bartlett Pears are quite appealing with a beautiful bright red skin.  They are more costly because of it.  Also known as the Red Sensation Pear  
Starkrimson Pears are deep red!  Quite festive and a great addition to the fruit bowl and fruit salad for both flavor and color contrast!  They are sweet yet mild.  Add to a regular salad with goat or blue cheese for a beautiful and tasty presentation.  You can find them in deluxe fruit baskets.  Also known as the Early Red, these pears are only available in August, September and early October.  
Bosc Pear - A pastry chefs choice because it's firm,  holds it's shape when cooked, and is quite elegant with it's lon neck.  Not as juicy, this is a crunchier Pear when eaten raw.  Also called the Golden Pear.  
Comice Pear - Perfect snacking Pear, sweet and juicy.  Also nice for a dessert or with cheese.  More costly than the others, but well worth it.  
Concord Pear also Concorde, are tender, sweet, juicy, creamy, and flavorful.  It has a hint of vanilla to it and just an incredible flavor.  This is the best tasting pear and a great smooth texture, not grainy at all like some other pears.  It is also elegant with it's long graceful neck, much like the Bosc.  It is perfect!  If you don't like pears, you have never tried the Concorde! 
 		  
Packham Pear is smooth, sweet, and juicing with bumpy skin and white flesh.  Also known as Triumph.  A specialty from Australia and a favorite fruit there.  Can be eaten fresh or cooked.  Unlike some other pears, this pear stays green even when ripe.  They take longer to ripen so leave them out three to five days before you want to enjoy and then refrigerate once they are ripe.  They smell fragrant and yield to gentle pressure when ripe.  Cross between a Bartlett and a Yvedale Saint-Germain.
 		  
Abate Fetel Pears are a favorite in Italy because they are sweet and aromatic with a graceful elongated shape.  
  Hosui Pear is an Asian Pear with a red tinge.  Asian Pears are juicy, sweet, crisp and firm. 
 		  
  Seckel Pair is smaller and sweeter and is therefore the perfect lunchbox Pear.
 		  
  Forelle Pear is smaller, sweet and juicy and turns bright yellow when ripe.
 		  
 

Pear Facts:

  

 		 Nutritionally: Nice source of vitamin C (a lot of that is in the skin, so don't peel it), potassium, folic acid, fiber and are low carb on the GI.
 		  
  How to choose: Nice color and no bruises.  Pears, like Bananas, are picked unripe.  If you leave them out, they will ripen.  If you put them in a paper bag, that will speed ripening.  If you place them in the refrigerator, the cold will slow the ripening process but not stop it completely; simply take them out a few days before you want to eat them to ripen them.  They will give a little once ripe; check at the stem so has not to bruise the fruit, which are quite delicate once ripe.
 		  
How to store: Loose in the refrigerator crisper drawer, but only for a few days.  Like Apples, the cold affects their flavor negatively, so bring them to room temperature before eating.  If you're cooking them, don't worry about that step.
 
  Fun Fact: Europeans call some varieties "butter fruit" because of their buttery texture when ripe and their sweet and juicy flavor.  Want more Pear information and recipe ideas?  Go to http://www.usapears.com
 		  
  Cooking: Use Pears in salads:  Add them cut in slices or diced to any salad with some walnuts and gorgonzola or blue cheese.  They are also great in desserts.  

 

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