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    Home » Nutrition » In Season Now: Pears

    In Season Now: Pears

    October 28, 2015 by Alaine 2 Comments

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    Pumpkin seems to be the king of fall produce but there is so much more in season! I want to encourage you to venture out and try something new! Today we are going to talk about pears.

    This is the first installment of a new series that will appear on My Texas Kitchen. Each month I will feature a fruit or vegetable that is in season along with nutrition information and recipes. My goal is to encourage you to explore seasonal produce and try something new!

    Source: Flickr, Michele Roy

    Source: Flickr, Michele Roy

    IN SEASON - AUTUMN

    • Harvested in US August through October

    NUTRITION

    • Pears are an excellent source of fiber packing 6 grams, or 24% of your Daily Value, per serving. The skin contains the majority of the fiber and adds texture, flavor and additional nutrients.
    • Pears are a good source of Vitamin C, containing 10% of the Daily Value per serving. Vitamin C is an antioxidant and is also necessary for cell growth and repair.
    • Potassium please! One medium pear contains 5% of the Daily Value for potassium.
    • Choose a medium pear for a pear-fect portable 100-Calorie snack!
    • Pears contain an antioxidant called Quercetin which may protect against heart disease and cancer due to its anti-inflammatory properties.

    RIPENING & HANDLING TIPS

    • Choose firm pears with few soft spots. Avoid pears with deep scars.
    • To ripen pears, place in fruit bowl or paper bag, and store at room temperature. Don’t forget to check them daily!
    • Don’t refrigerate an unripened pear.
    • Check the neck for ripeness by applying gentle pressure with your thumb. Once it yields to pressure the pear is ripe and ready to eat!

    VARIETY

    • There are 10 varieties of USA Pears. They range in flavor, texture and juiciness. Over 80% of pears grown in the USA are from the Pacific Northwest.
    • All-Purpose: Green or Red Anjou,  Bartlett, Red Bartlett, Concorde
    • Baking: Bosc
    • Perfect for Snacking or in Salads: Comice, Seckel, Forelle, Starkrimson

    Did You Know? You can sub pears for any recipe calling for fresh apples!

    RECIPES

    A delicious round-up of recipes featuring pears.

    • Pears with Goat Cheese and Cranberries by Sweet Potato Chronicles
    • Sour Cream and Pear Muffins by My TX Kitchen
    • Spiced Pear and Pomegranate Crostini by Good Life Eats
    • Gingerbread Pear Muffins by All Recipes
    • Baked Pears with Walnuts and Honey by Skinnytaste
    • Caramel Dipped Pears by The Kitchen McCabe
    • Arugula Skirt Steak Salad with Caramelized Pears, Pecans and Gorgonzola by Baker by Nature
    • Red Pepper-and-Pear Soup by Southern Living
    • Grilled Pear Salad by Southern Living
    • Cranberry, Pear and Kale Salad with Walnuts by Gundersen Health
    • Pear, Goat Cheese and Walnut Salad by A Pinch of Healthy

    Happy Fall Y'all!

    -Alaine

    References:

    1. USA Pears http://usapears.org/pear-nutrition/
    2. Lin LZ, Harnly JM. Phenolic compounds and chromatographic profiles of pear skins (Pyrus spp.). J Agric Food Chem. 2008 Oct 8;56(19):9094-101. doi:10.1021/jf8013487. Epub 2008 Sep 9. PubMed PMID: 18778075. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18778075
    « Turkey & Kale Baked Ziti {Greek Style}
    In-Season Now: Cranberries »
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    Comments

    1. Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy

      October 28, 2015 at 11:19 am

      Yum! I love pears. And thank you for linking to my salad recipe. 🙂

      Reply
      • Alaine

        October 28, 2015 at 5:36 pm

        Me too?! Great recipe - simple, healthy and seasonal!

        Reply

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    Hey y'all, I'm Alaine! Wife, mom of three, and Registered Dietitian. Welcome to My Texas Kitchen where I share recipes and bits of life from Central Texas. Thanks for stopping by!

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