How many pear varieties are you aware of? According to David Joachim, author of Brilliant Food Tips and Cooking Tricks, there are more than 5,000 varieties. I can think of only a handful. Did you see the movie City of Angels, with Meg Ryan and Nicolas Cage? In one scene, Nicolas asks Meg what a pear tastes like. She says “Sweet, juicy, like sugary sand.” Doesn’t that just make you want to eat a pear?
The widely available Bartlett is perfect for eating out of hand. When ripe, it’s juicy and sweet. I don’t think it holds up as well when cooked as the Anjou (also called D’Anjou), which is also good for eating raw. Bosc, tall and slender, is the prettiest pear for poaching whole. While it can be eaten raw, it stays quite firm even when ripe, and is more tart than the Bartlett and Anjou.
The Comice pear is purportedly the sweetest and juiciest pear. It’s large, plump body and lovely green skin with red blushes makes it a favorite pear for stuffing into holiday gift baskets, earning it “The Christmas Pear” title. I’m a sucker for the Seckel pear, a tiny little orb compared to the other varieties. I think it’s too firm to eat raw, but I love the spicy sweet flavor, and use it in crisps and tarts.
The Asian pear is round like an apple, and golden like the Bosc. It’s crunchy and sweet-tart. Thinly sliced, it’s great in salads, especially if the salad is sprinkled with blue cheese. I’ve brushed rings of Asian pears with a mixture of melted butter, honey and Chinese Five-Spice powder and grilled them. Served with a scoop of Ginger Caramel ice cream (a recipe in The Great Ranch Cookbook), it makes a lovely dessert after an Asian-themed dinner.
Pears are available year-round, but the “season” is late summer through winter. Fall is peak season, when you’re likely to find more varieties at the market than just the standard Bartlett. Many of our pears come from the northwest, specifically Oregon and Washington. Pears are picked before ripening, and either ripen in transit, or after you take them home. A pear is ripe when it gives a little when pressed near the stem, and the flesh is fragrant with pear aroma. After ripening, use right away, or place in the refrigerator for a few days.
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