Pears were first cultivated four thousand years ago and over five thousand varieties have been developed. Pears are native to Europe and were brought to the US by early colonists. They are sweeter than apples and slightly more nutritious because they have more fiber in their skin but their shelf life is shorter than apples. Pear trees can live up to 100 years! 98% of the domestic pear crop is grown in CA, OR and WA. Melting is a term Europeans gave to varieties of pears that seem to melt in your mouth when ripe verses being crunchy. Commercial case size is either 40lb or 20lb cases. The leading varieties of pears available in the US beginning with the autumn harvest include:
Anjou - Leading winter fruit, stubby, yellow-green skin, and creamy flesh.
Bartlet - Leading summer fruit. Most popular variety being the Principle pear for canning, the only pear sold commercially dry for canning. Available in gold, green or red.
Bosc - Firm and crunchy, long tapered neck, holds its hope well when cooked.
Butter - aka French Butter due to their sweet melting quality when cooked
Comice - Often called the sweetest, dull, squat and green.
Seckle - Named after the 18th century farmer who introduced it. Small and crisp
Forelle - Means, speckled brook trout in German due to its red speckles when ripe.
Ya Li - Green Chinese pear with freckles and a long tapered neck.
Asian – aka apple pear most popular types, large, yellow or light brown skinned fruit shaped like an apple. Sweet, and very crunchy when ripe.
PACK SIZE: VARIES SEASON: ANNUAL with varietal some gaps
Anjou - Leading winter fruit, stubby, yellow-green skin, and creamy flesh.
Bartlet - Leading summer fruit. Most popular variety being the Principle pear for canning, the only pear sold commercially dry for canning. Available in gold, green or red.
Bosc - Firm and crunchy, long tapered neck, holds its hope well when cooked.
Butter - aka French Butter due to their sweet melting quality when cooked
Comice - Often called the sweetest, dull, squat and green.
Seckle - Named after the 18th century farmer who introduced it. Small and crisp
Forelle - Means, speckled brook trout in German due to its red speckles when ripe.
Ya Li - Green Chinese pear with freckles and a long tapered neck.
Asian – aka apple pear most popular types, large, yellow or light brown skinned fruit shaped like an apple. Sweet, and very crunchy when ripe.
PACK SIZE: VARIES SEASON: ANNUAL with varietal some gaps
