33 free pears kitchen insights and benefits

Did you know that Homer, in his epic poem The Odyssey, refers to the pear as a “gift from the Gods”?

• Hera and Aphrodite, two of the most important deities in Greek mythology, are said to have held the pear in high regard as a sacred fruit. Pomona, the Roman goddess of fertility, along with the Roman goddesses Juno and Venus, who were considered to be comparable to Pomona, were all venerated for their roles in bestowing their blessings on the plant.
• Because fruit continues to mature even after being removed from the tree, it is picked when it is still unripe. Pear manufacturers may avoid having their product get too ripe before it is sold in grocery stores and other retail outlets all over the globe by using this method.
• The Buddha-shaped pears, which sell for $9.00 apiece, are the world’s most expensive pears. Even the expressions on their faces are identical to those on the Buddha statues that these pears resemble. Xianzhang Hao, a Chinese farmer from the province of Hebei, is the one who created the mould.
• People in Europe used to smoke pear leaves as a substitute to tobacco back in the days when tobacco was not readily accessible. This was a common procedure in the 16th century, and the leaves were often dried up and wrapped into cigarettes or pipes at that time. It was reported that the smoke had a nice and sweet scent, and the leaves were also used in the process of flavouring tobacco.

Pear nutrition values and health benefits

1. Pears are an excellent source of niacin, folate, and provitamin A, all of which are present in very low concentrations. Folate and niacin are two of the nutrients that are necessary for the proper operation of cells as well as the creation of energy. Provitamin A, on the other hand, is good for the health of the skin as well as the healing of wounds.
2. In addition, these fruits include a high concentration of polyphenol antioxidants, which are known to assist in shielding the body from the negative effects of oxidative stress and damage. Because the peel contains up to six times the quantity of polyphenols that are found in the flesh of the pear, it is important to eat the pear in its whole.
3. Particularly high fibre diets have been shown to be effective in the treatment of constipation. The condition improved during the course of a study that lasted for four weeks and included eighty patients who were given 24 grammes of pectin per day. Pectin is a kind of fibre that is present in fruit. They also reported a rise in the amount of good gut bacteria, which helped relieve their constipation symptoms. Because the peel of a pear contains a significant amount of fibre, eating the pear without first peeling it is the most beneficial way to consume this fruit.
4. Pears contain a wide variety of plant compounds, some of which are helpful to humans and others of which are responsible for the fruit has many colours. Because they contain anthocyanins, some types of pears, for instance, have a deep crimson coloration. Consumption of these compounds may increase both the health of the heart and the strength of the blood vessels.
5. Inflammation is a normal immune reaction; nevertheless, inflammation that is chronic or long-term may be harmful to a person’s health, despite the fact that inflammation is a natural immune response. It has been linked to the development of certain ailments, including cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. Pears are an excellent source of flavonoid antioxidants, which may help to decrease inflammation and may lessen your risk of acquiring certain illnesses such as diabetes and heart disease.
6. According to the findings of a number of large studies, a higher intake of flavonoids is associated with a decreased risk of both cardiovascular disease and diabetes. There is a possibility that the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties of these compounds are responsible for this effect. In addition to this, pears contain a wide range of vitamins and minerals, including the anti-inflammatory copper as well as the antioxidants C and K. All of these components contribute to the pear’s ability to reduce inflammation.
7. Research has showed that a number of the compounds that are present in pears have the ability to fight cancer. Research suggests that the anthocyanin and cinnamic acid present in blueberries may have a role in lowering the risk of developing cancer. There have been a few studies that suggest that eating a diet that is rich in fruits, especially pears, may help to reduce the risk of acquiring some cancers, such as those that occur in the lung, stomach, and bladder.
8. It is likely that consuming pears will lower the risk of getting cardiovascular disease in a person. It has been shown that the antioxidant properties of their procyanidins may lessen stiffness in heart tissue, decrease LDL cholesterol (the “bad” cholesterol), and enhance HDL cholesterol (the “good” cholesterol) in both laboratory animals and people.
9. Because of their low calorie count, high water content, and high fibre content, pears are an excellent choice for a nutritious snack for a great deal of individuals. Because both fibre and water have the potential to make you feel filled for longer, consuming them together may be beneficial for weight reduction.

100 g of pears have 57 calories (238 kJ), 0.4 g of protein, 0.1 g of fat, and 15 g of carbs, including 3.1 g of fiber.

How to store pear and how to buy them

• Examining the pear’s neck is the quickest and simplest technique to determine whether or not the fruit is ready to be eaten. Put some little pressure on the flesh of the pear, then move it up towards the stem. Your pear is mature and ready to consume when it has some give when you gently squeeze it. It makes sense to inspect the section of the pear that is closest to the centre of the fruit given that pears mature from the inside out. Do not give up hope if the only pears you can find at the grocery store are unripe; you can ripen them at home!
• Keep your pears at room temperature if you want to consume them within a day or two, otherwise refrigerate them. In addition, if the pears are not quite ripe, put them in a paper bag with a ripe apple or banana and keep them at room temperature until the pears deepen in colour, which is an indication that they are ripe. This may take anywhere from a few days to a week.
• The best course of action is to refrigerate ripe pears after they have been obtained from the market since it is unsafe to store them at room temperature. If you want to keep pears for more than a couple of days, the best way to do it is to put them in the refrigerator, where they will maintain both their consistency and their level of freshness.
• The majority of fruits may be preserved by freezing them, which is another technique of storage that can extend their shelf life. You could slice them up and then freeze them in individual portions. If they are stored properly and the necessary conditions are present, pears may be kept fresh in the freezer for up to a year before they start to go bad.
• The following is a list of the most obvious warning indications that a pear has gone bad:
  1. Whether you examine your pears closely, you should be able to tell if any of them have gone bad. If the skin has multiple dark bruises or blemishes, there will be patches all over the surface of the skin. If you find this indication, you should throw them away.
  2. It is not a good sign if you can penetrate the skin of the pear with your thumb when you push on it. It is possible that you will not know the pear is bad until you break it open and find that the flesh in the middle has turned brown and is mushy. Throw away any fruits that have a thin peel to save your health from being placed in jeopardy.
  3. Once their colour changes or deteriorates, this indicates that they are no longer in a healthy state. Throw it away and acquire a new one if the colour changes from the way it was originally.
  4. This exquisite fruit often has a robust taste, which contributes to its already alluring appeal as an edible option. However, when they are activated, they give out an unpleasant stench. Imagine enjoying a delicious supper in the evening, only to find that your stool has become putrid by the following morning. If they smell horrible, throw them away and get a new one instead. It is not worth it.
  5. This circumstance with pears is really alarming; the critter in question must have arrived in order to consume them. If a person bites them while they are in this state, they might do harm to the human body. Remove any mould that can be seen and replace the item with one that does not contain mould.

Cooking techniques, secrets, and tips from the kitchen

1. Poire à la Beaujolais, often known as poached pears in wine, is a traditional French delicacy that has its roots in the wine regions of Burgundy and Lyon. Instead of letting imperfectly ripened fruit go to waste, the French utilised it to eat it. The locals found a way to make the most of their crop by producing a meal that showcases the inherent sweetness of pears by mixing them with wine and a mix of spices. Poaching is a great method for using unripe fruit since it entails only boiling the fruit in liquid until it is cooked.
2. Make a sorbet out of the classic flavour combination of fresh pears and sugar. Unbelievably, the sorbet retains the slightly gritty texture of fresh pears. Serve the sorbet with a fresh pear slice or two and some pomegranate seeds for colour, if you want.
3. Pear relish is reminiscent of fruit chutney; however, the addition of peppers and onions makes it more of a hybrid between a chutney and a relish. The veggies are chopped finely before being cooked with vinegar, sugar, salt, pickling spices, and turmeric. A canner is used to process the mixture after it has been spooned into clean jars. Make sure you have the jars, lids, and all of the ingredients you will need before you start the preparation. You may either buy pre-made pickling spice that fits your preferred flavour profile, or you can manufacture your own. Turmeric gives the relish its distinctive yellow colour and flavour, with its pungent fragrance and musky, earthy flavour, as well as overtones of pepper reminiscent of horseradish.
4. This salad has everything a salad should have: soft and somewhat bitter greens dressed in a sweet celery seed dressing; juicy and tangy pears; blue cheese; and toasted walnuts; all topped with crumbled bacon. This dish seems complicated, but it really could not be simpler to prepare, and it tastes like it came from a five-star restaurant. The dressing may be prepared in advance and stored in the refrigerator; however, the salad should be tossed with the dressing just before serving to avoid sogginess in the greens.
5. Any kitchen would benefit from having pear sauce available. Preserving pears by boiling and canning or freezing them is an excellent option if pears are in season or if you have a surplus from your garden. Preparation options include cooking on the hob or in a slow cooker, followed by canning or freezing. Since pears naturally have a pleasant sweetness, you only need to add sugar to our recipe if you feel it is necessary. Pear sauce is a versatile addition to lunches since it may be eaten on its own like applesauce or used as a spread over toast, scones, or buttery pastries. It can also be used in place of oil in many baked good recipes.
6. Grilled pears are delicious when served as a side dish to grilled pork or sausages, but they are much more delicious when served as a dessert accompanied by ice cream, whipped cream, or frozen yoghurt. The inherent sweetness of the pears is brought out to stunning effect by the smokiness of the grill. Plan on cooking one pear for each guest, but the exact amount will depend on how you want to serve them. However, if you are just planning to offer them as a dessert after a hearty dinner, half a pear should be plenty. This is particularly true if you are going to serve the pears with ice cream.
7. Some examples of foods that go nicely with pears include almond, apple, caramel, chestnut, chocolate, cinnamon, citrus, clove, ginger, hazelnut, nutmeg, pecan, raspberry, rosemary, vanilla, and walnut. It goes well with dry red, white, and sparkling wines as well as brandy, port, crème de cassis, Grand Marnier, kirsch, rum, and whisky. Several cocktails include pears and take use of these pairings.

History of pears from the beginning until today

• Pears are one of the most well-liked fruits in the world and have been farmed for a very long time. Feng Li, a Chinese ambassador, gave up his duties about the year 5,000 B.C. because he got preoccupied with grafting peaches, almonds, persimmons, pears, and apples as a means of making money.
• Homer, the Greek poet laureate, is credited with writing The Odyssey, in which he praises pears as a “gift of the gods.” The Roman Pantheon included Pomona, the goddess of fruit, and Roman farmers recorded comprehensive pear growing and grafting procedures. Pomona was a revered member of the Roman Pantheon.
• Pears were a valuable and highly sought-after product throughout the commercial routes of the ancient world because of their ability to be used in a variety of ways and their extended storage life.
• Pears have, for a very long time, served as a classy still-life inspiration for painters, as is seen by the works of Renaissance Masters. During the 17th century, Europe saw the beginning of a period of enormous expansion in the cultivation of modern pear varieties.
• In addition, the pear tree is considered a cultural icon as a result of its inclusion in the traditional Christmas song “The Twelve Days of Christmas,” which was written in the 18th century.
• The first pear trees were introduced to America by the early colonists who settled in the eastern part of the continent. These pear trees flourished in the new land until crop diseases were too severe to support extensive cultivation. The pioneers who moved west to Oregon and Washington in the 1800s carried pear trees with them, and fortunately, those trees did well in the unusual agricultural circumstances that may be found in the Pacific Northwest.
• Those pear cultivars that were initially developed in France and Belgium, where they were esteemed for their delicate taste, buttery texture, and extended storage life, are the same or very similar to those that are grown now in the Pacific Northwest.