experiencelifemag.com Print › | Back › Pears Delicate, aromatic and sweet, this versatile, beautiful fruit adds flavor and nutrition to all kinds of meals. By Cary Neff September 2009 Food Basics Nutritional Know-How Eat Up! Kitchen Tricks Known for their divine flavor and sumptuous shape, pears have been called “the queen of fruits.” Available fresh for several months of the year — and with a long storage life — pears are a convenient way to give your body more fiber, vitamins and minerals. Food Basics Pears are members of the rose family. Like apples, their cores contain seeds, but pears are denser and less tart than apples. More than 5,000 varieties of pears grow around the world. They have white, juicy, buttery flesh; a sweet flavor; a fine, slightly grainy texture; and thin skin. While most pears have a round bottom that tapers up to a thin top, some — such as the Asian pear — are spherical. Pears are usually picked just before they ripen (most varieties are green at this point). As pears ripen, their color changes to various shades of yellow, green, red or brown. You can find fresh pears much of the year. In the United States, summer harvest includes Bartlett pears, which can be stored unripe in the refrigerator for one to three months. Early autumn brings Bosc and Comice, which will keep unripe in the fridge for two to four months. In late autumn, you can find Anjou and store them unripe in the fridge for six to seven months. It’s best to ripen pears slowly at room temperature. When ripe, a pear yields to slight pressure. A perfectly ripe pear will be juicy but still have a firm texture. Mushy and mealy flesh means it’s past its peak. When purchasing, select firm (but not overly hard) pears that are free of blemishes. Nutritional Know-How A medium-size pear has 6 grams of dietary fiber, about 24 percent of the daily recommendation. This fiber, found in the skin and flesh, makes pears great for regulating digestion. Diets high in fiber are associated with reduced risk of some types of cancer. Pears are a good source of vitamin C, which helps with tissue growth and repair, and vitamin K, which is important for healthy blood coagulation and maintaining bone mass. The fruits are high in antioxidants, and research has indicated that antioxidant levels increase as pears fully ripen. Eat Up! Sliced or diced pears add a crispy, buttery sweetness to any salad. Try replacing the apples in Waldorf salad with pears for a delicious treat. Pears are a natural companion to cheese. Match Roquefort with Bosc, Stilton with red Anjou, and Brie with yellow Bartlett. Add grated or chopped pears to your morning bowl of oatmeal or cottage cheese and sprinkle with cinnamon and nutmeg. To make chutneys or compotes, simmer pears with hot chilies, ginger, vinegar, and raisins or other fruits. Cut pears into quarters, toss with balsamic vinaigrette and roast for about 10 minutes in a 400-degree oven to soften and caramelize. Peel and chop overripe pears, freeze, and use in your favorite smoothie. Kitchen Tricks To ripen hard pears, store them at room temperature for up to five days. If you are not going to eat ripe pears immediately, store them in the refrigerator for up to two days. To speed the ripening process, place the pears in a brown paper bag at room temperature for one or two days; the trapped ethylene gas accelerates the process.  After slicing, toss pears with a little lemon juice or place in a bowl of 1 tablespoon lemon juice mixed with a 1/2 cup water to prevent discoloration. Chef Cary Neff is the president of the consulting firm Culinary Innovations and the author of the New York Times bestseller Conscious Cuisine (Sourcebooks, 2002). For details on how to prepare Pear Chicken Salad, Curried Pear and Potato Salad, Pear and Walnut Compote, andPear-Parsnip Soup, see the Web Extras at the top right of this page.

Pears

Delicate, aromatic and sweet, this versatile, beautiful fruit adds flavor and nutrition to all kinds of meals.

Food Basics
Nutritional Know-How
Eat Up!
Kitchen Tricks

Known for their divine flavor and sumptuous shape, pears have been called “the queen of fruits.” Available fresh for several months of the year — and with a long storage life — pears are a convenient way to give your body more fiber, vitamins and minerals.

Food Basics
Pears are members of the rose family. Like apples, their cores contain seeds, but pears are denser and less tart than apples. More than 5,000 varieties of pears grow around the world. They have white, juicy, buttery flesh; a sweet flavor; a fine, slightly grainy texture; and thin skin. While most pears have a round bottom that tapers up to a thin top, some — such as the Asian pear — are spherical. Pears are usually picked just before they ripen (most varieties are green at this point). As pears ripen, their color changes to various shades of yellow, green, red or brown. You can find fresh pears much of the year. In the United States, summer harvest includes Bartlett pears, which can be stored unripe in the refrigerator for one to three months. Early autumn brings Bosc and Comice, which will keep unripe in the fridge for two to four months. In late autumn, you can find Anjou and store them unripe in the fridge for six to seven months. It’s best to ripen pears slowly at room temperature. When ripe, a pear yields to slight pressure. A perfectly ripe pear will be juicy but still have a firm texture. Mushy and mealy flesh means it’s past its peak. When purchasing, select firm (but not overly hard) pears that are free of blemishes.

Nutritional Know-How
A medium-size pear has 6 grams of dietary fiber, about 24 percent of the daily recommendation. This fiber, found in the skin and flesh, makes pears great for regulating digestion. Diets high in fiber are associated with reduced risk of some types of cancer. Pears are a good source of vitamin C, which helps with tissue growth and repair, and vitamin K, which is important for healthy blood coagulation and maintaining bone mass. The fruits are high in antioxidants, and research has indicated that antioxidant levels increase as pears fully ripen.

Eat Up!

• Sliced or diced pears add a crispy, buttery sweetness to any salad. Try replacing the apples in Waldorf salad with pears for a delicious treat.
• Pears are a natural companion to cheese. Match Roquefort with Bosc, Stilton with red Anjou, and Brie with yellow Bartlett.
• Add grated or chopped pears to your morning bowl of oatmeal or cottage cheese and sprinkle with cinnamon and nutmeg.
• To make chutneys or compotes, simmer pears with hot chilies, ginger, vinegar, and raisins or other fruits.
• Cut pears into quarters, toss with balsamic vinaigrette and roast for about 10 minutes in a 400-degree oven to soften and caramelize.
• Peel and chop overripe pears, freeze, and use in your favorite smoothie.

Kitchen Tricks

• To ripen hard pears, store them at room temperature for up to five days. If you are not going to eat ripe pears immediately, store them in the refrigerator for up to two days. To speed the ripening process, place the pears in a brown paper bag at room temperature for one or two days; the trapped ethylene gas accelerates the process. 
• After slicing, toss pears with a little lemon juice or place in a bowl of 1 tablespoon lemon juice mixed with a 1/2 cup water to prevent discoloration.

Chef Cary Neff is the president of the consulting firm Culinary Innovations and the author of the New York Times bestseller Conscious Cuisine (Sourcebooks, 2002).

For details on how to prepare Pear Chicken Salad, Curried Pear and Potato Salad, Pear and Walnut Compote, andPear-Parsnip Soup, see the Web Extras at the top right of this page.

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