December is National Pear Month. There are 3,000 varieties of pears worldwide from Asia, Europe to North America. In the U.S. there are ten fairly common varieties of pears. It helps to know a little about these types of pears. Cooked pears are excellent but use the wrong kind and you will not be happy — the texture turns to mush.
Bartlett pears are the most common pear, they are all-purpose pears with the classic pear shape. Bartletts can have green skins that turn yellow when ripe or can have red skins that do not change color with ripening. Use for eating fresh or in salads and desserts
Anjou pears vary in color from light green to yellow-green to fiery red and the color doesn’t change when ripe. They have a squat shape and are firm with a mealy texture. Use for eating fresh or in salads and desserts.
Asian pears an apple shape and are also known as Chinese pears or apple pears because of their apple-pear flavor and crunchy texture. Use for eating fresh, in salads or baking.
Bosc pears have a tan-gold color and are slender shaped with a longer top and long, thin stem. They have a subtle nutty flavor and buttery texture. Use for eating fresh or baking, broiled, or poached since they retain their shape and texture.
Comice pears are the sweetest and juiciest of all the varieties. These pears have a fragile skin and may appear bruised on the outside, but there is no damage to the interior. Use for eating fresh.
Pears are delicious and healthy. A medium pear (about the size of an adult fist) provides 100 calories, 2 grams of fiber, 7 mg Vitamin C , and 208 mg potassium, 19 mg calcium, and 18 mg phosphorus.
Pears can be added to recipes to replace apples, used as a topping, and as part of appetizers, desserts, snacks, entrees and salads. Try using pears in the Creamy Fruit Salad Shake, Fruit Shake, Peach Milkshake, Breakfast Bread Pudding, Dairy-free Super Cereal, Enriched Cereal, Fruited Gelatin, Rice Pudding, or Super Pudding recipes found in Flavorful Fortified Foods – Recipes to Enrich Life.
Bartlett pears are the most common pear, they are all-purpose pears with the classic pear shape. Bartletts can have green skins that turn yellow when ripe or can have red skins that do not change color with ripening. Use for eating fresh or in salads and desserts
Anjou pears vary in color from light green to yellow-green to fiery red and the color doesn’t change when ripe. They have a squat shape and are firm with a mealy texture. Use for eating fresh or in salads and desserts.
Asian pears an apple shape and are also known as Chinese pears or apple pears because of their apple-pear flavor and crunchy texture. Use for eating fresh, in salads or baking.
Bosc pears have a tan-gold color and are slender shaped with a longer top and long, thin stem. They have a subtle nutty flavor and buttery texture. Use for eating fresh or baking, broiled, or poached since they retain their shape and texture.
Comice pears are the sweetest and juiciest of all the varieties. These pears have a fragile skin and may appear bruised on the outside, but there is no damage to the interior. Use for eating fresh.
Pears are delicious and healthy. A medium pear (about the size of an adult fist) provides 100 calories, 2 grams of fiber, 7 mg Vitamin C , and 208 mg potassium, 19 mg calcium, and 18 mg phosphorus.
Pears can be added to recipes to replace apples, used as a topping, and as part of appetizers, desserts, snacks, entrees and salads. Try using pears in the Creamy Fruit Salad Shake, Fruit Shake, Peach Milkshake, Breakfast Bread Pudding, Dairy-free Super Cereal, Enriched Cereal, Fruited Gelatin, Rice Pudding, or Super Pudding recipes found in Flavorful Fortified Foods – Recipes to Enrich Life.
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