Pears

S. Kenney-2011

S.Kenney 2011

Have you ever wondered which pear is sweet?  Which is tart?  Which is juicier than the other?  I often look at the pears and am not sure which is which.  Being close to Mexico now, I notice that the variety of fruit in the stores is quite widespread.  I am trying to understand what is coming from Mexico and S. America and what is being trucked across the U.S.  I was trying to figure out pears the other day and this is what I gathered together.  Now, if I could only keep it straight in my noggin...

Bosc Pear:  (These are the pears I took photos of above)

Eaten fresh, in salads or use in fruit baskets. Bosc pears are grown in California, Washington, and Oregon, Australia, British Columbia and Europe. Available in the US August through May. 

Anjou Pears:
In salads and eaten raw by themselves or paired with cheese. Sweet juicy Anjous are perfect for baking into desserts like tarts. It is commonly used for baking as they hold their flavor and texture even when cooked. They are also good for use in salads. While some prefer to refrigerate their Anjou pears, they are best left at room temperature. Anjou pears are available October through June. 


The Asian Pear:
It is also called Nashi apple, Nashi pear, African pear, Japanese pear, Korean pear, Taiwan pear, sand pear, apple pear, bapple, papple, and bae li. Good quality Asian pears are selected by smell rather than variations in firmness. Unlike other pears that yield to gentle pressure when ripe, Asian pears are ripe even when they are extremely firm.
The only good use for this pear is to eat fresh, and they are sweet and delicious.


Bartlett Pear:
Eaten fresh or in salads, canned, baked or poached. Bartlett pears are the types of pears most commonly used for canning.  They are available July through December. 


Seckel Pear:
Eaten fresh, in salads or canned. Seckel pears are available August through January.