The pear is believed to have originated in China, and is a close relative to the apple. The skins can either be yellow, green, brown, red, or some combination of these colors. The most common varieties available in the U.S. are the Bosc, Bartlett, Anjou and Comice pears.
Storage Tips
Pears actually ripen best once they are removed from the tree, and are usually picked before they reach their peak ripeness.
Keep pears at room temperature for best flavor and even ripening. If you want to keep them a few days longer, store them in the refrigerator.
How to know when pears are ripe:
Check the neck! Apply gentle thumb pressure near the neck, or stem end. If it yields slightly, it’s ripe!
Nutrition
Pears are a great source of fiber, vitamin C, copper, and vitamin K. In fact, one large pear will give you 29% of the daily recommended value of fiber! Aside from its role in maintaining healthy digestion, fiber has also been known to lower cholesterol and bind to cancer-causing chemicals in the colon. (Read more about fiber on World’s Healthiest Foods and get your nutrition facts on Self.com.)
Recipes
Banana Pear Ice Cream
Braised Pears with a Soy-Ginger Glaze
Caramelized Pear and Sage Crostini
Chopped Winter Salad With Pancetta, Pears and Blue Cheese
Cranberry Sauce Extraordinaire
Dandelion Green and Pear Salad
Dandelion Green Smoothie
Gingersnap Pear Cheesecake
Grilled Peaches with Brown Sugar Balsamic Glaze
Harvest Apple Pear Crisp
Kale Spinach and Pear Smoothie
Kiwi-Pear Juice
Mashed Potatoes and Turnip with Roasted Pear Puree
Napa Cabbage and Tofu Salad
Pear and Buckwheat Pancakes
Pear and Cabbage Slaw
Pear and Cranberry Crumble
Pear, Shallot, and Delicata Squash Soup
Pears Poached in Red Wine
Poached Pears
Pumpkin-Pear Crisps
Red Wine Poached Pears
Riesling Baked Pears
Roasted Acorn Squash And Braised Pears
Stuffed Cucumber Kimchi
Sweet Cranberry-Stuffed Acorn Squash
Winter Fruit and Vegetable Salad
Winter Greens with Roasted Pears and Pecorino