The fruit that comes in second place as the most popular fruit in the US is pears (apples take first place)! Because of their many varieties and growing seasons, pears are available fresh and in abundance for most of the year including winter, when many other fruits are out of season. Keep reading for fun facts and ideas for how to include yummy pears in your diet!

A Pear is a Good Source of:

• Fiber—great for liver and digestive health
• Potassium—helps body tissues and cell function
• Vitamin C—a powerful antioxidant for your immune system
• Vitamin K—aiding bone and brain health
• Copper—combats inflammation and keeps nerve cells healthy

Did You Know?

• Pears grow on trees and come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and colors, including green, golden yellow, and red.
• The peel is good to eat and has many nutrients, but do not eat the seeds.
• Pears have an antioxidant called “glutathione” that is known to help prevent cancer, high blood pressure, and stroke!
• The first pear tree originated in present-day western China.

How to Choose and Store Pears

When purchasing fresh pears, choose ones that are firm with no soft spots, and then let them ripen at home. When the pear has reached peak ripeness the flesh next to the stem will yield gently to pressure. Store at room temperature in a paper bag until ripe. After the pears are ripe, store them in the refrigerator and eat within 5–7 days. Be careful! Pears bruise easily, and their bruises lead to rapid decay—so handle with care. Don’t forget that frozen and canned pears are healthy too!

Ways to Prepare Pears

• Raw
• Poach
• Bake
• Sauté
• Pickle

• Pears have been grown for a long time. France and Belgium were the first to grow pears as a harvested crop. Pears were valued for their flavor, texture and long storage life.

• They are a good source of Vitamin C which is essential for metabolism, healing and guarding against infectious diseases.

• Pears ripen better off the tree and from the inside out.

• California is #1 for growing Bartlett pears and #2 in pear production, growing 32% of all pears grown in the United States.

As you enjoy fresh produce, follow these safe handling tips to help protect yourself and your family.

Fruits and vegetables are an important part of a healthy diet. Your local markets carry a wide variety of nutritious fresh fruits and vegetables. However, harmful bacteria that may be in the soil or water where produce grows can come in contact with fruits and vegetables and contaminate them. Fresh produce may also become contaminated after it is harvested, such as during storage or preparation.

Eating contaminated produce can lead to foodborne illness, often called “food poisoning.” So as you enjoy fresh produce, follow these safe handling tips to help protect you and your family.

Buy Right

You can help keep produce safe by making wise buying decisions.

• Choose produce that is not bruised or damaged.
• When buying pre-cut, bagged or packaged produce — such as half of a watermelon or bagged salad greens — choose only those items that are refrigerated or surrounded by ice.
• Bag fresh fruits and vegetables separately from raw meat, poultry, and seafood when packing them to take home from the market

Store Properly

Proper storage of fresh produce can affect both quality and safety.

• Store perishable fresh fruits and vegetables (like strawberries, lettuce, herbs, and mushrooms) in a clean refrigerator at a temperature of 40° F or below. Use a refrigerator thermometer to check! If you’re not sure whether an item should be refrigerated to keep its quality, ask your grocer.
• Refrigerate all produce that is purchased pre-cut or packaged .

Separate for Safety

Keep fruits and vegetables that will be eaten raw separate from raw meat, poultry, and seafood — and from kitchen utensils used for those products.

• Wash cutting boards, dishes, utensils, and countertops with soap and hot water between preparing raw meat, poultry, and seafood and preparing produce that will not be cooked.
• If possible, use one cutting board for fresh produce and a separate one for raw meat, poultry, and seafood.
• If you use plastic or other non-porous cutting boards, run them through the dishwasher after use

Prepare Safely

When preparing any fresh produce, begin with clean hands. Wash your hands for at least 20 seconds with soap and warm water before and after preparation.

• Cut away any damaged or bruised areas on fresh fruits and vegetables before preparing and/or eating. Throw away any produce that looks rotten.
• Wash all produce thoroughly under running water before preparing and/or eating, including produce grown at home or bought from a grocery store or farmers’ market. Washing fruits and vegetables with soap, detergent, or commercial produce wash is not recommended. Produce is porous. Soap and household detergents can be absorbed by fruits and vegetables, despite thorough rinsing, and can make you sick. Also, the safety of the residues of commercial produce washes is not known and their effectiveness has not been tested.
• Even if you do not plan to eat the skin, it is still important to wash produce first so dirt and bacteria are not transferred from the surface when peeling or cutting produce.
• Scrub firm produce, such as melons and cucumbers, with a clean produce brush.
• After washing, dry produce with a clean cloth towel or paper towel to further reduce bacteria that may be present on the surface

What About Pre-Washed Produce?

Many pre-cut, bagged, or packaged produce items are pre-washed and ready-to-eat. If so, it will be stated on the packaging, and you can use the produce without further washing.

If you choose to wash produce marked as “pre-washed” or “ready-to-eat,” be sure that it does not come in contact with unclean surfaces or utensils. This will help to avoid cross contamination.

About Foodborne Illness

Know the Symptoms

Consuming dangerous foodborne bacteria will usually cause illness within 1 to 3 days of eating the contaminated food. However, sickness can also occur within 20 minutes or up to 6 weeks later. Although most people will recover from a foodborne illness within a short period of time, some can develop chronic, severe, or even life-threatening health problems.

Foodborne illness can sometimes be confused with other illnesses that have similar symptoms. The symptoms of foodborne illness can include:

• Vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain
• Flu-like symptoms, such as fever, headache, and body ache

Take Action

If you think that you or a family member has a foodborne illness, contact your healthcare provider immediately.

Breakfast Pear Parfait

Ingredients

• 2 cups of cooked oatmeal
• 1 pear, chopped
• 1 cup low-fat vanilla yogurt

Directions

1. Put 1 cup of oatmeal into 2 small bowls.
2. Add half of the chopped pears on top of the oats
3. Top each bowl with ½ cup of low-fat yogurt.
4. Mix if desired. 

Cobb Salad with Pears

Ingredients

• 2 canned pear halves
• 6 cups mixed baby salad greens
• ½ tablespoon parmesan cheese
• 1 ⅓ cup carrots, grated
• 3 tablespoons walnuts

Dressing

• ¼ cup pear juice
• ¼ teaspoon honey
• ¼ teaspoon dijon mustard
• 1 dash salt and black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon extra virgin olive oil

Directions

1. For the dressing, mix pear juice, vinegar, honey, mustard, salt, pepper, and olive oil in a blender.
2. Put mixed greens in a large mixing bowl and mix the dressing in thoroughly.
3. Add the chopped pears, walnuts, and grated carrots and toss lightly.
4. Portion out 1 cup of salad for each serving, and top with ½ teaspoon of grated parmesan cheese.