You shouldn't compare apples with pears
Today, the pear is only in seventh place in the ranking of Germans' favorite fruit, far behind the all-time number one - the apple. For a long time, however, pears were on a par with apples, especially in rural areas. But we don't want to compare apples with pears. So here are a few facts about pears.
Cultivation and harvesting
The cultivation and use of pears probably began in the Near East. From the Middle Ages onwards, it spread across the entire European continent. Today, its main areas of cultivation include China (approx. 40 % of global production), the USA and Argentina. In Germany, only a comparatively small proportion of pears are grown.
The fruit only ripens in late summer, so harvest time is from September. Some varieties can even be harvested as late as December. If stored correctly, the fruit will continue to ripen and will be as soft as butter after one to two weeks.
KoRo tip: Just like apples, pears emit the ripening gas ethylene. It is therefore best to store your pears separately from the rest of the fruit basket. Or you can deliberately place them next to the still green bananas so that they ripen more quickly.
What types of pears are there?
Most pear varieties were bred between the 18th and 19th centuries. In France, however, the targeted breeding of large, tasty pears began as early as the 17th century. A brief historical digression: the "Sun King" Louis XIV played a key role in this by declaring the pear a royal fruit. To this day, the pear has a firm place in French cuisine. They are often served with cheese, but also go well in both sweet and savory dishes, as they can be combined with a wide variety of spices.
Today there are more than 5000 varieties of pears. The best-known German pear variety is the Alexander Lucas with its large fruit and classic pear shape. Two other classics are Conference and Williams Christ. The latter owes its fame primarily to the fruit brandy of the same name - with the whole pear in the bottle.
Delicious pears
So you come home from the weekly market with your pear harvest or you've helped with the harvest in the neighbor's garden and don't know what to do with all the fruit? No problem - we've got something for you. Grandma didn't just preserve apples, but pears too, of course. We have a super easy recipe for stewed pears for you.
You need:
- 500 g pears
- 250 ml water
- 1 sachet of vanilla sugar
- 50 g sugar
- 1 cinnamon stick (or 1 tsp cinnamon powder)
- 3 cloves
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
This is how it works:
- Peel the pears and cut them into small pieces.
- Bring the water to the boil with the sugar, vanilla sugar, cinnamon stick and cloves.
- Then add the pear pieces and simmer for about 10 minutes.
- Finally, add the lemon juice, pour everything into hot boiled jars and leave to cool.
If you're in a hurry, we also have organic pear puree in our store. Or if you fancy a snack or a fruity topping for your muesli, try our dried organic pears.
