Pears

One of my favorite fruits in the whole world is a soft pear, especially the Comice pear. I remember when my dad brought these pears home from the market; he'd rush to eat them, the sweet juice rolling down his cheeks after the first bite. The pear was so smooth and rich it was like biting into sweet butter. Sometimes, he'd spoon out the flesh, just like cantaloupe.

In the United States, the pear is almost as popular as the apple to which it is related, however, pears are not consumed in the same quantities as apples because they are not as hardy. Their texture becomes mealy if they are left to ripen on the tree and have a much shorter storage life than apples.

The primary pear producers today are China, the United States, and Italy. California, Oregon and Washington account for 98 percent of the pears grown commercially in the United States. Minor growing regions include New York and Pennsylvania.

Selection & Storage
When selecting the perfect pear, look for pears that are firm, not soft, free of blemishes or bruises, with intact stems. To determine if your pear is ready to eat, apply gentle pressure to the stem end of the pear with your thumb and if it yields slightly it is ready.

Pears are among the few fruits that improve after they're picked as long as they are picked fully mature, but not ripe. If left to ripen fully on the tree, pears can become mealy. Generally, mature pears are picked and then held in controlled-atmosphere environments until ready for retail sale. Pears that are harvested before they are fully mature can develop grittyness, mainly around the core. Leave them out at room temperature and they will ripen in a few days to a week, depending on the maturity when purchased. Most pears show subtle changes in color as they ripen and some will develop a sweet fragrance.

If you choose to hold off the ripening process, the fruit should be refrigerated and will hold three to four weeks there until ready to ripen. Once ripe, a pear will not last much more than a couple of days, even in the refrigerator. If you find the pear's texture excessively coarse, woody, or gritty, it has been left too long on the tree.

Asian pears, like apples, are ready to eat when picked. Green-skinned varieties should have turned somewhat yellow before they are ready to eat. Russet varieties should have a nice, deep golden color. Although they will last a week at room temperature, it's best to refrigerate them in plastic so they'll keep up to three months.

Preparation
The best way to eat a pear is out of hand with or without the peel, which contains some of the fruit's fiber. For other purposes, a standard apple corer and a vegetable peeler will prepare the pear for dishes that require clean halves or chunks. To prevent darkening of the fruit, coat the peeled or cut pears with lemon juice. In general, pears are great for cooking and usually turn even more mellow and creamy. When selecting pears for cooking, look for pears that are not yet fully ripe since they will hold their shape better for poaching or baking. Bosc pears are the best choice to poach, because they maintain their shape better. Pears are great when combined with ginger, vanilla, nutmeg, cinnamon, lemon, blue cheese, almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts, pecans, or really intensify their flavor with pear brandy.

Tony's Tip
Scars or blemishes, if only on the skin, will not affect the flavor. Some russeting will occur on even the best pears.

Tony's Favorite Recipe
Pears Stuffed with Blue Cheese

Varieties
The eight most common pear varieties are the Anjou, Bartlett, Bosc, Comice, Hardy, Seckel, Wilder, and Winter Nellis.

Anjou pears have their origins from France and were introduced to the United States in about 1842. There are two Anjou varieties: green skinned and red skinned. Both are medium in size with a round shape and a short neck. They both share a quite juicy and sweet flavor with a slight tannic taste.

Bartlett pears were introduced to the United States in 1797 from Europe. It is usually a medium to large fruit with a classic pear shape. It ripens to bright yellow and gives off a lovely aroma. Sweet and juicy, the Bartlett is perfect for eating out of hand but is also an excellent canning pear. There is also a red Bartlett variety that has a bright red skin when ripe. Other than color, the red Bartlett has the same characteristics as the yellow Bartlett.

Bosc pears have their origin in Belgium and were introduced to the United States in 1832. It is a rather large variety with a long, tapering neck and long stem. Color ranges from deep yellow to dark tan, and the skin often has a russet look. The Bosc has a sweet taste, but is not particularly juicy. Its dense flesh makes it ideal for cooking, especially baking or poaching.

Comice pears are a French variety discovered in about 1849. It has a stubby, almost round shape with green skin and often a significant red blush on one cheek. Considered the king of the pears because of its extreme juiciness and sweetness, the Comice is the variety most often found in holiday gift boxes. With its delicate nature it is not recommended for cooking however, Comice pears are excellent eaten raw, or served paired with cheese as a dessert.

Seckel pears, developed in about 1800, are a small variety with a dull green cast and often have red highlights. It is very sweet with a somewhat grainy texture since it is a hybrid of European and Asian pears. Seckel pears are the variety most often found in home orchards.

The Nellis or Winter Nellis pears originated in Belgium, and came to the United States in 1823. It is a good all-purpose pear for eating out of hand and cooking. Small to medium in size, it has a dull yellow-green russeted, almost mottled skin giving it an unattractive appearance.

Forelle pears have an attractive golden yellow color with a bright red blush and red freckles, and are small, sweet and quite juicy.

Packham pears are a fairly new strain, developed in Australia. They are similar to the Bartlett in color and flavor, but have a rougher shape. Like the Bartlett it can be used for eating out of hand and cooking, although it should be on the firm side when used for the cooking.

Clapp or Clapp's Favorite pears originated in Massachusetts around 1850. It is a large, oval, greenish-yellow pear with a little bit of a red blush. It resembles the Bartlett in size, shape, color and flavor, although it may be grainy and gritty. It has good flavor but storage life is very short.

Asian pears are sometimes called apple-pears or pear-apples because they have the juiciness of pears and the roundness and crispness of apples, however, they are not a hybrid of the two, but a true pear. Asian pears are not quite as flavorful as European pears, but unlike European pears (apples) , the flesh will not turn brown when exposed to the air. Although there are about ten Asian pear varieties marketed, you won't see more than one or two in your market, unless your market happens to cater to Asian clientele. Colors can range from green to yellow-green to russet brown. The most popular variety is the Twentieth Century or the Nijisseiki. Others include the Kosui, Kikusui, Hosui, Shinseiki, Shinko, and Niitaka.

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