Fun Food Facts – The Versatile Pear

By Uncle Paul

Sweet, juicy, delicious, scrumptious, healthy, dribble-down-your-chin, delectable, luscious, savory, and a little taste of heaven – all describe the topic I have chosen today – the pears of the great Northwest. It is the perfect time for the perfect pear. All the Northwest varieties are available from your local farmer today. Here are a few of the varieties available:

Bosc: Is a brown pear with a long neck. Its stem curves gracefully and is a sweet pear, second only to the Comice. It is gritty when not ripe, but when you ripen it, it becomes creamy and sweet. It has its own wonderful distinct pear flavor that I love. It is excellent for eating out of hand and probably the best-baking pear because it holds its shape well.

Anjou: Is a pretty pear that comes both in green and red. To me the red is creamier than the green. The Anjou is popular because it looks like the perfect pear, smooth and beautiful. It is difficult to ripen an Anjou. The Anjou doesn’t change color when ripe like the Bartlett. They are sweet when ripened properly.

Forelle: Is an absolutely beautiful pear, golden with a pink to reddish freckle blush. Their necks are fatter than most pears and they come in both large and small sizes. I love the baby Forelle pears because of their sweetness as well as how cute they are.

Asian: The Asian, or as some call it, the apple pear, is a crisp, sweet, juicy, delightful snacking pear. I love the Asian but they are unlike regular pears. They come with yellow or brown russet skins. They are so juicy they will quench your thirst.

Gingerbread: This is America’s newest pear. Its shape is like the Anjou but it has a delightful smooth brown skin. It is sweet with a delightfully spicy taste. It is an excellent treat on a long walk. Mrs. Uncle Paul came up with the name Gingerbread and the farmers loved it.

I have left my favorite for last:

Comice: The queen of Pears. Comice is often overlooked because it is so sweet that the skin marks or bruises easily, it is a fat pear whose bottom looks like the cone of a volcano. This pear is truly a delectable treat. It is sweet, juicy, creamy, fragrant, and absolutely delightful. The Comice is considered a true dessert pear. It is excellent with the combination of bread and cheese.

A pear’s taste is important, but more importantly it is a nutritious food.

A medium-sized pear, weighing about 166 grams, contains only 100 calories. Levulose, the sweetest of known natural sugars, is found to a greater extent in fresh pears than any other fruit. Fresh pears also have no cholesterol, sodium, or saturated fat. They offer a natural, quick source of energy, due largely to high amounts of two monosacharides: fructose and glucose. A pear is a nutrient-dense food, providing more nutrients per calorie, than calories per nutrient. Carbohydrates make up 98% of the energy provided by a pear, and carbohydrates are helpful in weight reduction diets since they contain half as many calories as fat.

Their tender skin is a source of fiber. A medium-sized pear provides 4 grams of fiber, or 16% of the recommended daily value. (Always wash all fresh fruits and vegetables before serving.)

Fresh pears offer potassium: 210 mg in a medium-size pear. Potassium is an element lost easily through dehydration or perspiration brought on by active lifestyles or strenuous exercise. Potassium is necessary for maintaining a good heartbeat, muscle contraction, nerve transmission, as well as carbohydrate and protein metabolism. You can replenish potassium by eating fresh vegetables, fruits, or legumes. Pears are excellent for this.

Fresh pears contain ascorbic acid, or vitamin C. One medium-size pear provides 7 mg, or 11% of the RDA for vitamin C. As one of the antioxidant vitamins, vitamin C is essential for normal metabolism and tissue repair, helping prevent free radical damage that are destructive by-products of the body’s metabolic process. Vitamin C promotes healing of cuts and bruises and helps guard against a number of infectious diseases. Fresh pears are a good source for vitamin C.

A diet high in sodium is a risk factor for osteoporosis, can upset the body’s fluid balance, and can contribute to hypertension (high blood pressure). Pears contain no sodium. Saturated fat contributes to obesity and cholesterol in the body, which in turn contributes to coronary disease and some forms of cancer. There is no saturated fat in fresh pears.

So pick the perfect pear and have a little taste of heaven!

Uncle Paul first starting working with produce at the age of 14 and has been doing so for most of his life. Uncle Paul has been featured in many prominent magazines and newspapers including The Wall Street Journal, The Oregonian, Good Fruit Magazine, and most recently The Southeast Examiner. He was a featured speaker at both the Food Alliance Convention and the Washington Agricultural Convention. He owns, along with his wife Calla, Uncle Paul’s European Style Open Air Produce Market in the Hawthorne District of SE Portland. His specialty is working with local farmers to bring the freshest highest quality produce at the lowest prices to his customers.