Get ready to introduce a new delicious, nutritious ingredient into your diet: pears!
Autumn is a great time of year for tasty pears. Served in sweet or savoury dishes, warm or cold, pears make delicious eating and are super healthy too. A medium-sized pear contains less than 70 calories and is packed with dietary fibre. In fact, a large pear contains up to 5 g of fibre – more than in a wholemeal bread roll. Pears also contain heaps of vitamins, such as A, B, C and E and provide potassium and iron.
Varieties of pears commonly available in Australia
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William pears
A sweet, juicy pear ideal for eating fresh or using in recipes. Available from January to May. |
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Packham pears
A more subtly flavoured pear, Packhams are ideal for cooking and bottling. Available from April to December. |
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Buerre Bosc pears
An brown-skinned pear with a delicate flavour and texture. Tip: the darker the colour, the better the flavour. |
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Sensation pears
Also known as red sensation, Sensation pears have bright red skin when ripe. They have a juicy, creamy white flesh and are lovely in desserts or fruit salads. Available from March to October. |
Choosing pears
Look for fruit that has smooth skin with no cuts or bruises. Gently press the flesh near the stem to test for ripeness.
Storing pears
Pears should be left to ripen at room temperature. Some varieties may take up to ten days to ripen. If you want your pears to ripen faster, place them in a paper bag with a banana. Once ripe, pears should be stored in the fridge.
Using pears
Pears can be added to a range of recipes – from pear jam to pear pie, they add delicious flavour and nutritional benefits to meals. For more contemporary flavours, try adding pear to salads, risottos or roasts (roast pears make a great accompaniment to roasted chicken or pork).
Nutritional information
Based on one, large green pear
| Calories | 100 cals |
| Kilojoules | 420 kj |
| Total fats | 0 g |
| Carbohydrates | 25 g |
| Cholesterol | 0 mg |
| Protein | 1 g |
| Fibre | 5 g |
Thanks to Apple and Pear Australia Ltd for much of the information in this article. For more information, visit www.aapga.com.au.
