Pears Are Massively Underrated—These Recipes Show Why You Should Cook with Them (2024)

FAQs

What is a suitable cooking method for pears? ›

Step-by-step method:

1Core pears and cut into quarters or cubes. 2In a large frying pan, melt a little butter, then add the pieces of pear. 3For a splendidly sweet taste, add a touch of brown sugar, honey or maple syrup. The mix can also be enhanced with cinnamon, spices, fresh ginger or lemon juice.

You'll want to choose pears that hold together well when making poached, baked, or grilled pears. Look to the crispest raw pears to find those that can withstand heat. The popular Bosc pear is the best option. Anjou pears are another top choice and Concorde and French butter pears are also reliable.

In our September/October 2019 issue, we use pears in everything from a showstopping galette to Champagne-flavored muffins. With so many varieties available on the market, it can be tough to choose which pears work best for baking. We recommend using Bartlett, Bosc, and Anjou pears.

Conference pears are best suited for both raw and cooked applications such as baking, roasting, and poaching. They can be served fresh out-of-hand in leafy green salads, in fruit salads, sliced on top of pancakes, oatmeal, and pudding, or displayed on a cheese plate.

Both cooked and raw pears are healthy, and can have a positive impact as part of a balanced diet. But when pears are cooked, something magical happens, and release extra pectin – a special form of fibre.

Eat pears whole or cut into quarters. If desired, remove the core. The skin is edible and a great source of fiber. To keep sliced pears from browning, briefly soak them in 1 quart of water + 3 tablespoons lemon juice.

Just-picked or purchased pears should be ripened at room temperature. On the counter is fine, but keep unripened pears out of the 'fridge. Once ripe, you can store pears in the refrigerator. The cold temperatures will slow the ripening process and they'll keep for 3 to 5 days.

Apples and pears have equal amounts of minerals potassium, phosphorous and sodium, and vitamins C and B2. Pears contain more iron, calcium, magnesium, copper, zinc and vitamins B3 and K than apples, while apples are richer in vitamins A, E and B1.

Red Bartlett

With a bright, fresh sweetness and delicate floral hints, this pear is all about flavor. Smoother and sweeter than its yellow cousin, the Red Bartlett is similarly good for canning and preserves, and a much better choice for eating out of hand.

Yes, dogs can eat pears. Pears are a great snack because they're high in copper, vitamins C and K, and fiber. If you're sharing pears with your dog, just be sure to cut the pear flesh into bite-size chunks and remove the pit and seeds first, as the seeds contain traces of cyanide.

Which is the sweetest pear? ›

Comice pears were originally cultivated in France. They're known as the sweetest pear variety, and are often the variety shipped in gift boxes. Because of this, they're sometimes given the nickname “the Christmas pear.” Comice pears have light green skin with a blush of pinkish red.

Bosc Pear

Crisp when raw, Bosc pears are the best example of the soft, crunchy texture that pears are typically associated with. Both Bartlett and Bosc pears are cultivated varieties of Pyrus communis.

Most recipes call for crushed pear to tenderize the meat. My boyfriend's Korean mother says Coca-Cola can also be used for the same purpose. This recipe uses very thinly-sliced sirloin steak, so tenderization isn't necessary. It's delicious served with rice, lettuce leaves, and chile paste or kimchi.

Because fruits and vegetables are most often eaten raw, it's important to wash them before eating to remove any bacteria, pesticides or other impurities that can be harmful to ingest.

As with any fruit, the best way to eat a pear is to eat the whole thing. The skin is where most of the nutrients are, particularly the fiber and antioxidants. That said, be sure to wash it thoroughly before you eat it.

Baked, poached, roasted, grilled, brûléed, sautéed, or broiled - fresh cooked fruit quickly and easily becomes a seasonally delicious and healthy dessert! To note: not cooking fruit and just easting is as it is also technically a dessert!

The most common cooking techniques include baking, poaching, simmering, deep-frying, sautéing, broiling and grilling. When you cook fruits, take care not to overcook them. If overcooked, they will become mushy and lose their flavor. Add sugar or an acid, such as lemon juice, to help prevent overcooking.

Poaching, stewing and other moist-heat methods are wonderful for dressing up plain fruit. Sauces and compotes are usually made using moist-heat cooking.

To ripen pears in 4-7 days, store them at room temperature on your counter. If you want to ripen them even faster, put them into a paper bag, fold the top of the bag to close it, and wait 2-4 days for the pears to ripen. Adding ripe bananas or apples to the paper bag will help to ripen the pears in 1-3 days.