Here’s How to Celebrate National Pear Month!

There is a whole month to celebrate pears? Why yes, yes there is! Personally, I believe pears should be celebrated ALL year long, but I especially celebrate the bounty of pears in December when it is National Pear Month. As a nutritionist with 20 years of experience under my belt, I have found few foods that bring me as much joy and energy as a pear. They are versatile when it comes to cooking, are juicy and sweet, and because of their fiber content, keep me satiated. In honor of the month-long designated occasion, here are 3 reasons to get into the pear spirit: 1. Nutritional Benefits Fiber: A medium pear has 6 grams of fiber, which equals about 24 percent of the recommended daily value. Did you know that the skin contains the majority of the fiber found in Continue reading

Behold the Red Bartlett

December is National Pear Month, and we’re celebrating all ten varieties of USA Pears during these first ten days, along with our friends at Love and Olive Oil, One Sweet Appetite, and The Little Epicurean. Today, we’re all about the Red Bartlett, a lesser-known sister of the quintessential pear variety, the Bartlett. We love the soft, juicy, and sweet Red Bartlett pear for its bright pop of color and its mellow flavor in recipes. The Red Bartlett can be identified by its soft red skin, classic pear shape, and vertical stripes of color. Red Bartlett pears shine atop savory entrees, like these Grilled Pizzettas with Pears, Shaved Ham, and Fresh Basil. Raise a glass to the peak of pear season with Red Bartlett pears in this festive White Sangria with Cranberry Syrup. File this one away for warmer days: a pitch-perfect Continue reading

Pears on Display

Our recent supermarket display contest in Central America had some great entries, but this one was particularly eye-catching. It’s clean and well organized, draws attention from shoppers, and features more than one variety: Green Anjou, Red Anjou, and Bosc.  While I can’t say that their version of a pear tree is a truly accurate portrayal of our USA Pear trees here in the Pacific Northwest, the display is impressive and fun, and it’s obvious that the produce department staff put a lot of creativity and enthusiasm into building  it! Facebook Twitter Google+ Pinterest LinkedIn

Get Them While You Can!

I came across this beautiful illustration from Belgium in our archives.  What a great reminder that USA Red and Green Anjou Pears are still in season!  Both Anjou varieties are sweet, juicy, and delicious!  They’re also very versatile: you can eat them out-of-hand (for me personally, a sliced Anjou is a great addition to my lunch on a daily basis), in salads, as part of an entree, or dessert.  The recipe section at www.usapears.org has great options.  And because the Anjou pear doesn’t change color, remember to Check the Neck for ripeness! Facebook Twitter Google+ Pinterest LinkedIn

The New Season is Here!

While everyone here at our office and our reps around the world are busy, busy planning for the new USA Pears season, harvest has finally begun!  Bartletts and Starkrimsons will kick things off – look for them to start popping up in your local grocery stores soon! I’m getting ready for a tour of the growing regions a bit later in the fall with groups from India and Russia.  The most popular variety around the world is the Green Anjou.  Many countries aren’t familiar with the lesser-known (but equally delicious in their own way) varieties.  It’s a lot of fun to take visitors to the orchards so they can see all the different shapes, sizes, colors, and flavors of USA Pears! If you haven’t already sampled all of the varieties of USA Pears, add it to your list of things to Continue reading

One Week, 4 Countries, Multi-Varieties!

I spent last week visiting some of our markets in Central America, starting south and working my way north, one country per day:  Panama City, Panama; San Jose, Costa Rica; San Salvador, El Salvador; and Guatemala City, Guatemala. I saw many delicious-looking USA Pears in all of the markets, and the quality of the fruit is outstanding, especially considering the long journey required to arrive!  The most popular variety is usually the Green Anjou, followed by Red Anjou and Bosc.  This year there is also interest in trying the smaller varieties, like Forelle and Seckel.  The more varieties, the better!  It’s great to see shoppers introduced to all the different flavors that USA Pears have to offer.  (Side note: you must go to your own grocery store and pick up as many varieties of USA Pears that they have, then Continue reading