 Once called “butter fruit”, the pear is a fall fruit and is similar to its apple relative in its seed core, but with a texture that is both more melting and grittier. Some pears are the distinctive pear shape, while others are elongated, and still others are round.
Health Benefits: Pears are a good source of fiber, particularly pectin, as well as potassium and boron. They are low in sodium and have small amounts of phosphorus and vitamin A. The pectin reduces serum cholesterol and cleanses the body of environmental and radioactive toxins.
Use: Sweet, melting, and juicy describe pears preferred for eating our of hand. Varieties that are more firm and crisp, almost like apples, are canned or pickled. To prevent cut pears from browning, sprinkle with lemon juice. Never store a pear sealed in plastic. Without freely circulating oxygen, the core will turn brown and brown spots will develop under the skin.
 Red or Yellow; juicy and with a definite aromatic flavor. Bartlett’s are bell shaped, medium to large and often have a red blush when fully ripe. There are two types of red skinned Bartlett’s – those that turn bright red when ripe and those that remain dark red. An all-around pear, the Bartlett is good for eating fresh, cooking, and canning.
 Organic Red Bartlett’s have a similar shape, quality and ripening features to Green Bartlett’s. Good fresh, dried, or canned. Fruit ripens without cold storage but off the tree.
 A large, high quality, late ripening russet pear. Color is dark, rich yellow, overspread with cinnamon russet. The flesh of our organic bosc pears is white, tender and juicy with a very smooth texture and pleasing aroma and a rich delicious flavor.
A short-necked variety of pear that originated in France. The green Anjou has a pale green skin that doesn't change color as the pear ripens. Good for both eating and cooking.
Medium to large, bumpy green pear. The flesh is creamy white with a smooth texture and the taste is sweet and juicy.
 Italy’s favorite pear, the Abate Fetel, is long, banana-shaped and noted for its sweet, fruity flavor. It is medium to large with a smooth russet over a yellow background. The flesh is white and aromatic. The Abate Fetel (ah-BAH-tay fuh-TEL) is named after the French monk who bred it during the mid-fifteenth century.
 The term Asian pear describes a large group of pear varieties having crisp, juicy fruit. The crisp texture of an Asian pear remains unchanged after picking, unlike the flesh of European pears such as Bartlett or Comice. There are three types of Asian pear: round or flat fruit with green to yellow skin; round or flat fruit with bronze-colored skin and a light bronze-russet; and pear-shaped fruit with green or russet skin.
Basic Nutritional Facts: Pears contain about 16 percent carbohydrate and negligible amounts of fat and protein. They are good sources of the B-complex vitamins and also contain vitamin C; in addition, they contain small amounts of phosphorus and iodine.
 Comice is the sweetest and juiciest of all varieties of pears, and is a favorite in holiday gift boxes and baskets. Their flesh is very soft, and can best be described as creamy in texture, abundantly full of juice, and very sweet. For many pear lovers, Comice is the pinnacle of pears. Comice appear in all sizes, but their shape is unique among varieties; having a rotund body with a very short, well-defined neck. They are most often green in color, and sometimes have a red blush covering small to large areas of the skin surface. However, some newer strains are almost entirely red in color.
 The Starkrimson pear is a brilliant and solid red. As it ripens, it may turn even more brilliant! This variety shares similar taste and texture to the Bartlett pears, but may have a more noticeable floral note to its aroma and taste.
from Rebecca Wood's The New Whole Foods Encyclopedia |
