There are 10 types of pears that you can get from your grocery store. Each pear is available at different seasons which means you can have at least one type of pear available all year round.
Do you love pears?
These bell-shaped goodies are so delicious in recipes or eaten raw.
My favorite is Anjou pears. What’s your favorite?
Tips for working with pears
- Buy the pear type that is in season. This makes sure that you are getting the freshest and best quality of pears.
- Always buy organic pears. Pesticides can penetrate the skin of the pears and into the fruit itself.
- If you are lucky enough to live in an area that is optimal for pear growing, buy pears from your local organic farmer because that would be the best quality. Also, they are far cheaper when bought from farmers directly.
- You can refrigerate pears for up to 1 week. But, they are better when consumed fresh.
- To freeze pears, peal them first and then chop them into pieces. Put them into freezer friendly containers and store. Ideally, you want to eat pears with skin on, but the peels don’t freeze well.
- Freeze them right when you get them home. This way, you preserve its freshness.
- The skin of pears contains quite a bit of nutrition and fiber, so consume pears with it.
Most common types of pears
Pears come in all shapes, sizes and flavors. My favorite has always been Anjou pears because they are so sweet
Here are some of the common pear varieties. Source: USAPears and
Red anjou pears
Red Anjou pears are in season from October to early summer in USA
They are the most common types of pears in the US and they happen to be my favorite
Red Anjou pears are very distinguished because they have a vibrant red color and they have a bell shape. They are in season from September to June
Their level of sweetness is perfect for this salad dressing recipe. I found that I put just a little bit of maple syrup to even out the taste of this dressing.
Did you know that you can make pear wine? It’s unbelievably easy and needs simple ingredients. Try it today and let me know how it turns out for you.
Bartlett pear (red and green)
Bartlett Pears are in season from August to December in USA
They have a greenish-brownish skin that is easily distinguishable when you see it in the grocery store
It shape is weird, don’t you think? I find its smaller top and larger, rounder bottom to be very unique in shape. When I was a kid, a teacher joked that the top was the head of the pear where its brain was kept
I never saw Bartlett pear in the same way again, and to this day, I am always skirmish at the site of a Bartlett pear.
They are very crispy when they ripen, so, I don’t recommend using them in this pear salad recipe
Bosc pears
Bosc pears are in season from September to April in USA
These are the most common type of pears, at least in my home when we were growing up. These pears have very little sweetness and are generally not very crispy when they ripen.
For this pear salad dressing, these Bosc pears don’t have a good texture and I found that I had to put extra maple syrup in it. Adding extra maple syrup just defeats the purpose of having a healthier dressing.
So, I don’t recommend using Bosc in this pear salad dressing
Vegan salad dressing, ginger salad dressing, low carb salad dressing, low sodium salad dressing
Green anjou
Green Anjou pears are in season from October to July.
These pears have a the very recognizable almost neon green color. They have a very similar shape to anjou pears.
Their sweetness level is also similar to anjou pears, so, you can easily substitute with this green anjou pears in this pear dressing. But, they have a slight tangy flavor.
Source: USA Pears
Other not-so-common types
- Red Bartlett pears are in season from August to December
- Comice pears are in season from September to February
- Concorde pears are in season from September to December
- Forelle pears are in season from September to January
- Seckel pears are in season from September to February
- Starkrimson are in season from August to November
Answering your questions
After you chop the pears, coat them with a little bit lemon or lime juice. By little bit, I mean about a 1/2 tsp of lemon juice for 1 pear
Place the unripe pears in a brown bag and store them in a cool, dry place. They will ripen within a day or two. Make sure you keep the bag away from direct sunlight
Peel and cut the pears into small pieces and place them in ziplock bags. Remove as much of the air as you can and seal it. Write the date you sealed it and then, freeze it. Use it up within 6 months of freezing it
Where to buy them
- Big box stores in their organic foods section.
- Whole Foods, Sprouts and Fresh Market grocery stores carry many varieties of pears that are in season
- If you live in an area where conditions are good enough for pears to grow, find farms that grow them. Buy it from them directly
Nutrition in pears
- High in fiber is their best quality (about 6g in one pear)
- Good dose of potassium (about 190mcg in one pear)
- Quality vitamin C (about 7mg in one pear)
- No sodium!!
- No bad cholesterol either!
- Packed with polyphenols and antioxidants!!
- 13mg of Calcium
Source – USA Pears, Pubmed, Nutrition Value.
What to make with pears?
- Creamy fruit salads
- Salad dressings
- Tarts and pies
- Salsas and dips
- Marinades
- Pear smoothies and juices
Have you tried my pear salad dressing and pear tart. One Hot Oven even has awesome pear appetizers recipe that is beyond this world!
How to buy pears
First thing you want to make sure is that they are organic pears when buying. The pesticides penetrates the skin of the fruit.
Also, make sure you are buying the pear that is currently in season. This way, you are getting the freshest pears.
If you are making a recipe immediately, then choose pears that are soft to touch and ripe. For future recipes, use firm pears with a no dents or major bruises.
So, get your pears today and let me know what you think. Which pear is your favorite and what recipe did you use them in?
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This was a really interesting read, I love pears and we used to have a pear tree when I was growing up. I’ll be a little more informed when I go to our local farmers market and more selective!
Aww, thank you so much Mandy. So happy to hear that.
I love pears so much, but I didn’t realize there were so many varieties. Thank you for educating me! Your tips about how to ripen them were also helpful!
Thank you, Heidi. 🙂
This was super informative!!! My favorite is probably a toss up between Bartlett and Bosc, though red Anjou pears also look so beautiful
Thank you, Ksenia
Yes, we love pears. I grew up in southern Oregon (home of Harry & David), and my mom worked the orchards as a kid. We love the Comice, but also Bartlett are my fave “eating” pear. Great post!
Thank you, Sandy
We love pears at my house, especially the red ones. I often use them in salads with blue cheese or feta, and they are a huge hit. Thanks for all the tips!
Thank you, Karen. 🙂