When the poet Homer described pears in his epic poem The Odyssey, he called them “gifts from the gods.” In the millennia since, humankind’s love of this fruit hasn’t wavered. These crisp, crunchy, juicy fruits were, actually, cultivated into more than 3,000 varieties by the ancient Greeks and Romans, who took them beyond southeastern Europe and spread them across the continent.
Today in America, most pears are grown in Washington, Oregon, and California. But because pear trees require so much water to thrive, they became prominent with the development of modern irrigation systems in the latter half of the 20th century. Primarily harvested in the fall and winter, they have a sweet juiciness that works well when paired with contrasting flavors and textures like cheese, nuts, and greens, making them a nice addition to wintertime entertaining menus.
You’ll get a nice health boost when you eat pears, mainly from their abundance fiber content—nearly 6 grams each, more than you would get from a 1-cup serving of leafy greens. Not only does fiber improve your digestion but also it improves your blood sugar and lowers your cholesterol. Pears are high in potassium, which is important for fluid balance and offsetting the intake of excess sodium. Pears provide more than 10 percent of your daily needed vitamin C, a powerful antioxidant that fights disease, repairs cells, and supports immunity.
However, it’s important to note that even though pears provide health benefits for most people, anyone with digestive issues should be careful about introducing pears into their diet. Because pears are high in fermentable oligo-, di-, monosaccharides, and polyols (commonly abbreviated as FODMAPS), they can trigger symptoms in people with irritable bowel syndrome and Crohn’s disease.
You’d have a tough time accounting for the thousands of pear varieties cultivated by the Romans and Greeks in ancient times. But there are still many pears you’ll find at the grocery store or farmers’ market. All pears will have the same nutritional profile, although they’ll have different taste and textures.
You might notice that the pears you find at the grocery store aren’t fully ripe. This is because pears don’t ripen when they’re on the tree and must come to ripeness in the days or weeks after they’re picked. With this in mind, don’t focus on finding ripe pears. Instead, look for pears that have a vibrant color and are free from blemishes on their skin. Keep the pears at room temperature until they are soft to the touch, indicating they are ripe. To prevent overripening, keep them in the fridge once they’ve reached a desirable softness.
Here’s what you can expect when you bite into different types of pears:
Anjou: This variety, along with Barlett, is what you think of when you think of a pear. It’s green in color with a sweet, juicy taste and slight citrus flavor. Barlett: They’re slightly juicier and more aromatic than Anjou pears. Bosc: These pears are longer with a warm brownish color to them. They have a crisp texture and a slight woodsy flavor with hints of honey. Comice: While Bosc pears are longer, Comice pears are shorter and rounder. They have an especially sweet taste with a slight buttery flavor. Concorde: These pears are longer in shape like Bosc, but with the distinctive green color of Anjou and Barlett pears. They’re especially crunchy, and you’ll detect notes of vanilla in their taste. Forelle: These pears are distinctive for being smaller with a crisp texture and tangy taste. Seckel: This variety is even smaller than Forelles—able to be eaten in just a few bites. They’re very crunchy and sweet.
Pear Bread with Gorgonzola & Walnuts
Ingredients
- 3 medium-sized pears
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 1/2 cup crumbled gorgonzola
- 1 cup ricotta
- 1 cup walnuts, chopped
- 2 cups whole-grain wheat flour
- 15 grams active-rising yeast (1 packet)
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 tablespoon
- brown sugar
- 3/4 cup milk
- 3 egg yolks
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon
- olive oil
Core and peel the pears, then chop into quarter-inch cubes. Toss with lemon juice. In a large bowl, combine yeast, honey, and sugar. Stir in milk, eggs, and salt. Slowly add in the flour until it forms a firm dough. Roll into a ball. Coat a bowl with olive oil and place ball of dough inside. Cover with a dish towel and allow to rise for 30 minutes. Combine gorgonzola, ricotta, and walnuts in a small bowl. When the dough is finished rising, transfer to a floured surface, and divide into four parts. Roll each part out to quarter-inch thinness. Spread the cheese mixture on each piece of rolled dough and top with chopped pears. Roll the dough up with the cheese and pears inside, then transfer to a greased baking dish, stacking the rolls one by one. Preheat the oven to 350F and allow the dough to continue rising for another 30 minutes. Bake for approximately 40 minutes. Serve warm.
Pasta Salad with Pears
Ingredients:
- 1 pound (dry) whole-grain rotini pasta
- 2 medium-sized pears
- 1 cucumber
- 1/2 cup pickled red peppers, thinly sliced
- 1 cup fresh mozzarella
- 3 cups baby spinach or arugula
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
Boil a large pot of salted water and cook the pasta for approximately 8–10 minutes. Reserve two tablespoons of pasta water and drain. Rise under cool water. Cut the pears, cucumber, and mozzarella into bite-sized pieces. Allow the reserved pasta water to cool, then toss with olive oil, vinegar, yogurt, salt, and pepper. Whisk until smooth. Toss the pasta with pears, cucumber, peppers, spinach, and mozzarella, then drizzle with dressing and serve.
Stuffed Pears
Ingredients
- 3 medium-sized pears
- 2 tablespoons walnuts
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1/4 cup raisins
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons orange juice
Preheat oven to 350F. Finely chop the walnuts and spread them on a baking sheet. Allow them to toast for approximately 5 minutes or until fragrant. Cut pears in half longways and scoop out a hole from the inside with a melon scoop. In a small bowl, combine butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, walnuts, and raisins. Spoon into the scooped-out pears. In another small bowl, whisk together the maple syrup and orange juice. Pour into a baking dish. Arrange the pears in the dish and bake for 30 minutes. Serve warm.
