Pears

EAT PEARS! Pack a pear in your lunch. Mix sliced pears into yogurt. Add chopped pears to waffle, pancake, or muffin batter. Stir chopped pears into hot cereal. Add them to a gelatin salad. Count 1 medium pear as one serving of fruit.

FIND PEARS! Look for fresh pears in the produce section. Find canned pears in the grocery aisle. Dried pears are in the bulk food section. Always wash pears before eating them.

Pear Tidbits
Pears are a member of the rose family.

Pears ripen better off the tree. And, they ripen from the inside out. Do you know how to tell if a pear is ripe? Gently press your thumb against the stem end of the pear. It should feel slightly soft. (Bartlett pears change color as they ripen, turning from green to yellow.) Pears will ripen faster if placed in a brown bag!

Pears are a good source of fiber—just one pear has 16% of the fiber your body needs every day.

Pear Recipes

PearBear Picnic Blankets

Pear Pops

Creamy Fruit Dip for Pears

Pear Cinnamon Cake

PearBear Picnic Blankets

Makes 8 snack servings

1 medium pear, cored and cut into 8 wedges

8 thin slices cooked turkey or lean ham, from the deli

2 Tbs. cranberry sauce

Spread each piece of sliced turkey or ham slice with a small amount of cranberry sauce. Place a piece of pear on top, and roll up the pear in the “blanket.”

back to top

Pear Pops

Makes 4

1 16 oz. can pear slices, drained

8 oz. lowfat yogurt with fruit, any flavor

Pour pears and yogurt into a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth. Divide mixture into small paper cups . Freeze until firm. Peel and eat.

back to top

Creamy Fruit Dip for Pears

8 oz. light cream cheese, softened

1/3 cup frozen fruit juice concentrate

In a bowl, combine cream cheese and fruit concentrate until creamy. Dip away!!

back to top

Pear Cinnamon Cake

Serves 6

Cake:

2 eggs

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup applesauce

1/2 tsp. vanilla

1-1/2 cup all purpose flour

1 Tbs. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 cup orange juice

Topping:

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 tsp. cinnamon

1 Tbs. all purpose flour

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 ripe pear, peeled, cored, thinly sliced

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease and flour an 8-inch square baking dish. In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, cinnamon, flour and vegetable oil until it is crumbly. Set aside. In a large bowl, mix eggs, sugar, applesauce, and vanilla. Stir in flour, baking powder, salt, and orange juice. Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle the topping over the batter. Arrange the sliced pears on top. Bake for 30 minutes.

back to top

Updated weekly: