Pears

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by Julie White

I’m sure many of you, like me, have memories of that over ripe pear left in your school bag, and as a result have avoided eating them for years. Well, now is the time to grow up and revisit this amazing fruit. They have a subtle grainy texture and when perfectly ripe, which is only for a fleeting moment, burst with juice and a subtle sweet flavour.

Fresh, Packham, Beurre Bosc, Williams, Corella or Nashi (and no, it’s not crossed with an apple but an Asian variety), or dried are best. I avoid the tinned variety as I find them bland, overly sweet and void of the juicy crunch.

Buying:
Pears ripen from the inside out and will continue to ripen once picked, so buy firm fruit, free of any bruises and cuts. Nashi pears need to be bought ripe, as they won’t ripen once picked.

Storing:
Pears need oxygen! When storing this fruit, keep them in the fridge, avoid stacking them on top of one another and only use paper or ventilated plastic bags.

If the fruit is too firm, leave it at room temperature and check daily by pressing gently near the stem, which should ‘give’ slightly if ripe. To hasten the ripening process, place them in a paper bag with a banana or an apple.

Cooking:
Brush cut pears with lemon juice to prevent the oxidation process which turns them brown. Nashi pears oxygenate slower than normal pears.

Pears can be poached in wine, juice or water with a bit of a sweetener like honey. They can be baked, added to braises, in salads or juiced.

One of my favourite ways to eat them is as a pear chutney with walnuts

Goes with:
• Cinnamon, cloves, ginger, vanilla
• Lemon, orange, raspberries, quinces, passionfruit, rhubarb, dates
• Honey
• Wine, port, sherry
• Pistachio, walnut, almonds, pecans
• Olive oil
• Salad leaves, spinach, rocket, watercress
• Chives, shallots
• Ham, prosciutto, smoked chicken, pork
• Blue, goats, parmesan and cream cheese

Nutritional information:
• Pears are high in fibre, meaning they will help keep you regular. Fibre is also important for reducing cholesterol levels and excreting toxins. Meeting the recommended daily requirements of fibre has also been linked to reduced rates of breast cancer.

• Pears contain the element boron. Boron is required to retain calcium. For this reasons pears have been linked to the prevention of osteoporosis.

• The skin of pears contains the antioxidant quercetin. Quercetin acts in the same way as other antioxidants by reducing oxidative damage and stabilizing free radicals. Quercetin has been linked to the prevention of Alzheimer’s.

• Pears contain an abundance of vitamins and minerals including, Vitamin A, C, K, B2, B3, B6, folate, calcium, magnesium, potassium, copper and manganese.

Nutritional Information: Pears (1 large)

Energy	559kj	7%
Carbohydrate	36g	7%
Fibre	7g	23%
Protein	1g	0%
Fat	0g	0%
Vitamin C	9.7mg	22%
Vitamin K	10.4μg	15%
Folate	16.1μg	4%
Potassium	274mg	10%
Copper	0.2μg	17%

I must admit, it took me years to get over the sight and smell of a rotten pear mushed in my school bag at the end of term holidays. Glad I finally did! There’s nothing I like better than a slice of pear, smear of blue vein cheese, a couple of walnuts and a glass of red wine.