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A fruit synonymous with autumn harvest is the pear. A sweet delicious delicate fruit that is nutritious and versatile. One pear contains less than 100 kcal. It is an excellent source of dietary fibre, higher than most fruit, with 5g fibre/pear providing 20% DV (daily recommended intake). Fibre not only helps to fill you up and aid in weight loss, it also helps control blood glucose and reduce cholesterol, making it an excellent snack for diabetics and for those with heart disease.   One pear contains 7mg vitamin C, an antioxidant that helps protect cells from free radical damage. It also contains 198mg potassium, an important mineral that helps lower blood pressure.

There are several varieties of pears. Some of the more common pears in local markets are Anjou, Bosc, Asian and Bartlett pears. Anjou pears are small and oval. The yellow-green skin is generally quite smooth, and the flesh is sweet but tends to have less taste than the Bartlett. Bartlett pears are the most common in supermarkets. They are bell-shaped, and the colour of the skin varies with age from green to yellow, or with a hint of red. These pears are very crispy and tasty to start, and with age the flavour gets sweeter and the flesh softer. If you like the sweeter pears, the more yellow-ish ones tend to be more mature. Bosc pears are very firm and often used for canning or cooking. The skin of these pears is a cinnamon brown colour that doesn’t change with age. Asian pears tend to look like sunny-yellow apples. The flesh inside is quite crispy, and the flavour is a mild mixture between apples and pears. These pears also tend to be more expensive, as they are somewhat less common.

Local pears are available from August through November. Interestingly, pears ripen best after they are picked from the tree. They will ripen in a few days on your countertop. To speed the ripening, place them beside bananas. If you want to stop the ripening process or keep ripe pears from continuing to ripen, store them in the refrigerator. Ripe pears will last in the fridge for 3-5 days. Do not store them in sealed plastic bags or containers as the flesh will oxidize and brown from the core out.

When buying pears, look for firm, unblemished, smooth skinned fruit without punctures or soft dark spots. Brown specks called russetting are common and do not indicate age or wear. Avoid pears that are soft or have wrinkled tops near the stem.

Pears are an excellent snack raw. If you cut them, squeeze lemon juice on the flesh to prevent them from browning too quickly. Pears are delicious sliced into yogurt, blended into smoothies and stirred into hot cereal for breakfast. They taste wonderful with walnuts on salad or grilled with cheese in a sandwich. Pears can be baked in crumbles, pureed into soups and muffins, poached in wine or juice or sautéed for chutney to serve with pork tenderloin. If you have a pear tree you will likely be doing some canning soon too.