What’s in Season – Pears
Nutritious, succulent and sweet, it’s no wonder we have a passion for pears.
Varieties
Five major varieties are grown in Ontario: Bartlett (the overwhelming favourite), Clapp’s Favourite, Anjou, Bosc and Flemish Beauty.
Bartlett, the most common pear worldwide, is bell-shaped, sweet and soft with a light green skin that turns yellow when ripe. It is available from August 23 to November 30.
Clapp’s Favourite is similar in shape, with white flesh and exceptional sweetness. Its skin turns golden yellow when ripe. It is available from August 15 to August 25.
Anjou is more egg-shaped, very aromatic and mildly sweet; the skin shows only traces of yellow over green when ripe. It is available in early October.
Bosc has an elegant elongated shape with a slender neck; fine textured, russet coloured and still relatively crunchy when ripe. It is available towards the end of September till end of December.
Flemish Beauty is roundish, with thick clear yellow skin speckled with red when ripe. The creamy-coloured flesh becomes meltingly tender when ripe. It is available in mid-September.
Selection
Go ahead and pick a green one, because pears ripen best once they’re off the tree. You can’t always rely on colour since the Bartlett’s doesn’t change, so choose fruit with smooth, clear skin that yields slightly when gently squeezed in your palm. A loose stem indicates ripeness, but softness around the middle may be a sign of an overripe fruit, since pears ripen from the inside out.
Storage
Pears are highly perishable when ripe, so keep unwashed ripe fruit in the fridge. Store unripe fruit in a bowl or paper bag at room temperature, but check them daily. Pears produce elthylene, a compound that helps fruit to ripen faster, so don’t store them near unripe bananas, peppers, eggplant, unripe kiwis or squash. Avoid storing them near onions and potatoes because they can absorb these odours as well.
Tip
Peel pears before cooking them, as their skin grows tough when heated.
Nutrition 101
One medium pear (160 g) has about 100 calories, is a good source of fibre and a source of vitamin C, potassium and folacin.
