Pair up with pears: sweet summer treats

Vibrant Life, May-June, 2004 by Georgia E. Hodgkin

Quick, easy meals begin with foods needing minimal preparation. Canned pears provide just the ticket to tasty, tempting menus from your kitchen. Ripe, peeled, and flavor-filled, they can complement any appetizer, salsa, entree, or dessert.

Pears have been cultivated for a very long time They're first mentioned around 1000 B.C in western Asia. A Greek botanist spoke of them in his work in 300 B.C., and a Belgian priest developed the first pears with a soft, juicy flesh in the 1700s.

American colonists brought pears--mostly from France--with them to their new land. In the 1700s the Franciscan fathers carried the fruit to the West Coast and planted them in rows within their mission gardens.

Today, they're part of gardens and farms in almost every state.

Varieties Abound

Greater than 5,000 varieties of pears grow in temperate zones around the world. The majority of Asian and European types grown commercially in the United States hail from California, Oregon, and Washington. In Europe, France leads production.

Common names include Anjou, Bartlett, Bosc, Comice, Hardy, Seckel, Wilder, and Winter Nelis. Pear-picking dates range from June to September, but some varieties may be available year-round.

Pears should be harvested from the tree when the fruit is green and hard. If left to ripen on the branch, their centers become soft and mealy. When purchasing this sweet treat, choose those that are smooth, unblemished (no dents, holes, marks, or bruises), and firm to the touch. Avoid the soft, mushy ones.

Store them at a cool room temperature. Your fruit should yield to slight pressure in two to four days and will be ready to enjoy. Two or three pears stored in a paper bag will ripen quickly.

Nutritionally, pears add to our day's total requirement of vitamins and minerals and contain both soluble and insoluble fibers--a medium-sized pear provides around 3 grams total toward the recommended 25 grams per day. Pears also contain the flavonoid phytochemicals of the catechin family as well as the phenolic acids of the hydroxycinnamic acid family. Research continues to expand the role of phytochemicals as protectants from many chronic diseases.

Pear Pita

4 pita bread rounds, halved
4 large lettuce leaves,
washed and dried
8 slices Worthington Wham
1 15-ounce can pear slices,
drained
8 slices cheddar or soy
cheese
ranch dressing, reduced
fat

To assemble sandwiches,
open pita pocket halves and
line with lettuce. Layer
enough wham slices, pear
slices, and cheese to fill each
pocket evenly. Drizzle with
ranch dressing, as desired.
Serves 4. Per serving: calories:
593; protein: 34 grams; carbohydrate:
51 grams; fat: 28
grams; cholesterol: 0 milligrams.

Many Colors and Shapes

Almost half (48 percent) of the pear crop each year is eaten out of hand. Moist-chinned consumers enjoy the soft, juicy, flavorful fruit in its myriad of colors (saffron yellow to burnt orange, rusty and crimson reds, toasty browns to cinnamon) and its diversity of shapes (voluptuous bell-shape to slender to slightly rounded to small and squatty). Color, shape, texture, and flavor are peculiar to a given variety.

The balance of the crop is either canned (51 percent) or dried (1 percent). To savor this versatile fruit and benefit from its nutritional gifts, try some of the following recipes. You can add pears to breakfast items, main dishes, soups, salads, and/or desserts. Their delicious, sweet, juicy flavor will bring richness and variety to your family meals.