Selecting Fruit
With so many delicious-looking pear varieties available, how can you be sure to select the pears you’ll find most satisfying? Look for the following ripeness indicators, and enjoy your favorite varieties at their peak of ready-to-eat perfection!
Bartlett
The Bartlett pear ripens at room temperature, turning from green to yellow as the pear becomes softer, sweeter and ready to eat.
- The sweetest, juciest & most flavorful pear.
- Ripens at room temperature, turning from green to yellow.
- Perfect for canning, cooking or slicing into salads with crumbled bleu cheese.
- Refrigerate to preserve ripeness, which will hold for 3-5 days.
Sunsprite
The green skin of the Sunsprite pear doesn’t show much change during ripening. Look closely – when it’s slightly more yellow, the pear is ripe and ready to eat.
- Sweet and flavorful — nicknamed “Baby Bartlett” for its familiar shape!
- Green skin yellows slightly when fully ripe.
- Well-suited for kids’ lunches, appetizers — even floral arrangements.
Bosc
As it ripens, the Bosc’s skin remains brown, showing no sign of change. Look instead at the stem end, which will be shriveled when the pear is fully ripe.
- Highly aromatic with dense, sweet-spicy flesh — a popular dessert pear!
- Skin does not change color, but stem end shrivels when ripe.
- Ideal for baking, poaching and cooking.
Forelle
The Forelle’s greenish skin turns bright yellow as it ripens, ultimately displaying small red specks when the pear is ripe and ready to enjoy.
- Plenty of juicy sweetness in a petite package!
- Skin turns yellow when ripening, adding flecks of crimson when fully ripe.
- Ideal for kids’ lunches, paired with cheese in appetizers or eaten out of hand.
Comice
During ripening, the greenish-yellow color of the Comice changes very little. Instead, it will yield to pressure and soften around the stem when fully ripe.
- Sweet & juicy with a rich, buttery flavor and smooth, fine texture!
- Greenish-yellow color changes little, but softens around the stem when ripe.
- Perfect for snacking, or served as a dessert pear with cheese.
Seckel
The Seckel doesn’t change color when ripening, so determining its ripeness is a hands-on experience. Feel around the stem end of the pear – when it’s soft, it’s ripe!
- An excellent dessert pear, small in size but big on sweetness!
- Skin does not change color, but softens around the stem when ripe.
- Great served with cheese, in children’s snacks or baked into tartlets or cookies.
