Sampling ten types of pears here at the SAVEUR office, the differences in flavor and texture were surprisingly clear; each has its own personality: biting into the sweet, bright Green Anjou is a completely different experience from the almost overwhelmingly floral Starkrimson. Pears of all stripes are widely available in most food stores and markets across the country through fall and winter; here are ten of our favorites. See our tips for how to buy, store, and cook with pears »
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Standing in front of a huge display of pears can be mind-boggling while trying to remember which pears are best for your recipe. We hope this guide will help!
Choosing the right pear for cooking and eating depends on your preferences and the specific dish you have in mind. Pears come in various varieties, each with its own flavor, texture, and best uses. Here are some tips on how to choose a pear for cooking and eating:
FOR EATING FRESH
Bartlett Pears: Bartlett pears are a classic choice for fresh eating. Look for pears that are yellow or greenish-yellow with a slight blush. They should yield slightly to gentle pressure near the stem when ripe.
Comice Pears: Comice pears are exceptionally sweet and buttery, making them perfect for snacking. Choose pears that are slightly soft to the touch and have a fragrant aroma.
Asian Pears: Asian pears have a crisp, apple-like texture and are sweet and juicy. Select pears that are firm and free from bruises. Asian pears are great for fresh eating out of hand.
Taylor's Gold Pears: Taylor's Gold pears are known for their crisp and juicy texture and sweetness. Choose pears that are firm and have smooth skin.
FOR COOKING
Bosc Pears: Bosc pears hold their shape well when cooked, making them ideal for poaching, baking, or grilling. Look for pears that are firm and have a distinctive bronze color.
Anjou Pears (Green or Red): Both green and red Anjou pears can be used in cooking. They are versatile and can be used in pies, tarts, and other desserts. Choose slightly firm pears for cooking.
Asian Pears: Asian pears can also be used in cooking, especially in stir-fries, and some savory dishes. Choose firm Asian pears for cooking applications.
Warren Pears: Warren pears have a smooth texture and sweet flavor, making them excellent for cooking in pies and desserts. Select ripe but firm Warren pears.
HOW TO SELECT PEARS
Check for ripeness: When choosing pears, gently press near the stem end. If it gives slightly, it's ripe and ready to eat. If it's firm, it may need a few days to ripen at room temperature.
Smell: Ripe pears often have a fragrant aroma, so give them a sniff to check for ripeness.
Avoid bruises and blemishes: Choose pears that are free from bruises, blemishes, or soft spots.
Consider the recipe: The type of pear you choose for cooking should complement the flavors and textures of your recipe. Firmer pears are better for pies, while softer, juicier pears are great for salads or eating fresh.
Ultimately, the best pear for cooking and eating depends on your personal taste and the specific culinary application. Experiment with different varieties to discover your favorites for both fresh enjoyment and cooking.
Juicy, soft, and sweet, pears are a fabulously versatile fruit. It can be overwhelming, though, once you dip into the variety of pears available at grocery stores and farmers markets. Which should you choose when you want to add fresh pear to a salad? How about if you're making a pear tart or a poached pear? Different pears are best for different types of dishes since there are times when you want pears to keep their shape and other times when you want them to fall apart.
All ripe pears can be enjoyed raw, either eaten out-of-hand or sliced into salads. Here's what you can expect in terms of flavor and texture from common pear varieties:
Anjou Pear: A firm, mild-flavored pear that is perfectly juicy. Red and green Anjou pears are nearly identical in flavor.
Asian Pear: Full-on crunchy and similar in texture and shape to apples, this is a very mild-flavored pear with a soft, grainy texture.
Bartlett (or Williams) Pear: This is the perfect choice when you want a really, really juicy pear. Both red and green Bartletts are also among the sweetest pears you'll find.
Bosc Pear: These pears are wonderfully crisp, with a delicate sweet flavor that resembles the stereotypical pear taste perfectly.
Comice Pear: Not as grainy as classic pears, this variety has a great clean and bright pear flavor that's surprisingly sweet. It's soft and juicy, and arguably the best choice to eat raw.
Concorde Pear: Juicy, with a vanilla-like flavor and smooth texture, these pears are crisp right after harvest and soften as they ripen.
French Butter and Seckel Pears: These varieties can be eaten raw, but they need to be fully and completely ripe for it to be a pleasant experience. Even slightly underripe versions have a sharp, tannic hit.
Pear flesh tends to oxidize or turn brown when cut and exposed to the air. You can minimize any browning in salads by dipping the sliced pears in a mix of about 1/2 cup water and 2 tablespoons lemon juice first. They can also be tossed with a fairly acidic salad dressing.
When cooking pears, there are two types of desired outcomes: Pears that keep their shape or fall apart. You'll want to choose pears that hold together well when making poached, baked, or grilled pears.
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Look to the crispest raw pears to find those that can withstand heat. The popular Bosc pear is the best option. Anjou pears are another top choice and Concorde and French butter pears are also reliable.
Pears should fall apart when making things like pear sauce or butter. For these recipes, turn to the 'Bartlett pear, which will turn to mush under the slightest heat. As an extra bonus, Bartletts are plentiful at markets, so they're always there when you need them.
Consider too, mixing pears of both types. For instance, a combination of Bartletts and Bosc in a pie can be lovely. The Bosc pears hold their shape beautifully when surrounded by a Bartlett pear sauce.
One of the great things about eating in season is, if you've done a good job really relishing what's available, when that availability wanes, you're satiated and ready for the next season's goodies.
And right now, one of those goodies is pears.
But pears are tricky, right? We've all had the experience of biting into one that's not only not sweet, it leaves us with a puckering, tannin-like sensation in the mouth. No bueno.
So here's everything you need to know to pick a perfect pear, avoid the pucker, and spend the next few months eating nothing but delicious, sweet, fragrant, tender, peak-season pomes. In this Mixed Greens with Pears, Bacon, Gruyère, and Warm Mustard Vinaigrette salad, perhaps (photos below).
Why that puckering happens. When pears are picked, typically they're mature but not yet ripe. Which means that most of the time, they're still not ripe when they get to the store. They don't taste good simply because they're not ready to eat.
(This will be a little less so for farmers market pears. Because there's less time between picking and selling, those growers can leave the fruit on the tree a little longer without fear of it becoming overripe before it gets to market.)
Here's what you can do about it. Plan for that pears aren't going to be ripe when you buy them. Allow for a few days on the kitchen counter before they're ready. If you want to speed up ripening, put them in a paper bag while they're on the kitchen counter. If you want to speed it up even more, add a banana or an apple to the bag.
(Why does a paper bag work? It doesn't actually have to be paper'just a closed-ish container of some sort. And it works because all produce gives off ethylene gas as it ripens, and an ethylene-rich environment promotes faster ripening. So the bag keeps your pears in their own little ripening chamber. Some produce, like apples and bananas, are particularly prolific ethylene emitters, so adding one of them to the bag makes the environment even more ethylene-y, speeding ripening even more.)
Here's how to tell when your pear is ripe. Gently press the fruit at the top near the stem'or, as USA Pears says, 'check the neck.' If it has some give, it's ripe. It might take 3 or 4 days for this to happen. But it's worth the wait for a truly yummy pear.
The only pear for which this isn't true is an Asian pear. Asian pears are the ones that are more apple-shaped than pear-shaped and are juicier and crunchier than 'regular' pears. They're ideal when they have a firmer, more apple-like texture versus the slightly softer texture of a perfect pear. (Although I do like Asian pears a tad softer than rock hard.)
Once your pears are ripe, move them to the refrigerator to help them stay that way.
(Fun fact. Pears ripen from the inside out. Which is why sometimes when you do cut into a ripe pear, the fruit near the core can be too ripe and almost mushy while the fruit closer to the skin is perfect.)
If you'll be cooking, because they'll soften with heat, pears can be firm-ripe instead of the soft-ripe texture you might want for eating raw. Asian pears are again an exception'they won't soften with cooking.
What to look for at the store. Even though you're unlikely to find a ripe pear at the store, that doesn't mean there aren't things you can look for to ensure it's close to ripe and that when it does ripen it'll be the tastiest pear possible.
Avoid cuts, indentations, and dark or mushy spots. Browning on a pear's thin skin, though, isn't unusual and it's not a sign of a less-than-ideal pear.
Look for good color. Most pears are green, but a green that's starting to become more yellow or golden will indicate a soon-to-be-ripe, full-flavored pear. In brown-ish Boscs, the undertone will go from green to more yellow. And red Bartletts will go from dark red to a brighter, more garnet-like red as they ripen.
Smell. Even before it's ripe, a good pear should have a lovely fragrance'or at least the beginnings of one.
Using pears. Some of my favorite places for pears include fall salads, like Mixed Greens with Pears, Bacon, Gruyère, and Warm Mustard Vinaigrette. They're also perfect for cheese plates, with yogurt and granola for breakfast, added to a simple pan sauce for pork or lamb, and even added to roasted root vegetables. Try poached pears on their own, with cheese, or over ice cream or cake. Add pears to cranberry sauce and scones. And sandwiches and stuffings. A pear pie, tart, or crisp can be wonderfully fall-icious. And pear wedges wrapped in prosciutto with a dab of blue cheese and a sprig of arugula makes an easy and casually elegant app.
As you've surely noticed, pears, like apples, can brown pretty quickly once you cut into them. So like apples, if you're using them raw, toss pears with a little water and lemon juice or other acidic liquid to help prevent that.
And speaking of apples, as you've also surely noticed, you can substitute pears for apples in most recipes. And vice versa.
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