Pears

In retrospect this one is a little late in the season, but at the time of me writing this there are still pears out there on some of the local trees!

I want you to be familiar with the larger staple fruits that can be foraged throughout the season, so you have either a free source of fruit most of the year, or at least a good base to make into other things.

Plant Profile:

Scientific Name: Pyrus sp. (the two most common pears are P. communis, and P. pyrifolia)

Preferred Habitat: Edges of woods, old farmland, pastures, roadsides, highway medians, parks, backyards

Edible Parts: Fruit, flowers, and leaves (rarely eaten)

Distribution: Mostly in the Eastern half of the US and along the West coast

*Let me know if you don’t like this style of map! I personally think it will give you more accurate data on where to find each plant.

Harvest Season: Late summer (Varies based on cultivar)

Key Identifiers: Large bell-shaped fruit that are usually green, yellow, brown, or red in color. Blossoms and tree structure look very similar to apples.

Toxic Look-Alikes: None in North America as far as I’m aware.

Nutrition: (Per medium-sized fruit)

• Calories: 101

• Protein: 1g

• Carbs: 27g

• Fiber: 6g

• Vitamin C: 9% RDI (Recommended daily intake)

• Vitamin K: 7% RDI

• Potassium: 4% RDI

• Copper: 16% RDI

• High in anthocyanins

• Promote a healthier gut (which can be said of most whole fruit honestly)

• Antioxidants help ease inflammation

• May have cancer-fighting properties (specifically lung and stomach)

• May lower the risk of type 2 diabetes by up to 23%

• Antioxidant content helps boost your heart health

Uses

Pears seem to have gone out of fashion since I was a kid (that could just be my perception) and few people seem to grow them anymore compared to apples.

Despite that, pears continue to be great dessert fruit and are valued in gourmet cooking for their unique texture and flavor.

Pears are often used for jelly, pear butter, baked goods, salads, compote, eating fresh, baking whole, galettes, ciders, pairing with cheese, eating with meats like chicken, made into sauces and really anything you could use an apple for.

The leaves are used for medicinal purposes on occasion.

Growth Habits

Pears are very similar to apples being closely related.

Because of this I would recommend pruning them much the same way (aim for a goblet shape).

Pears can be susceptible to diseases depending on where you live, so I recommend either growing from seed or choosing cultivars that are particularly resilient on their own.

The goal of the gardener should be to build resilience in the garden to maintain a stable and productive food system!

Otherwise, foraging them will yield you plenty of fruit with very little effort!

Additional Information

There are a number of wild pears that I personally don’t find worth harvesting. Some are very small and either taste unpleasant or the texture is gross. While you can absolutely eat these, I don’t think it’s worth it in most cases.

Asian pears (P. pyrifolia) are a delightful fruit! They are probably best described as being between an apple and a pear. Line up a pear, an Asian pear, and an apple and it’s very easy to see how closely related they are!

There is a species of pear known as the “Callery pear” (P. calleryana) that I never recommend planting. This species is only really used for ornamental purposes and has been given the invasive status in a lot of the Eastern half of the US thanks to the USDA who introduced the plant in the 1960’s, particularly a strain known as “Bradford”.

While I think every plant has a place (including some misunderstood invasives) this is one that is not even useful in any particular way.

On top of outcompeting a lot of local species, these trees tend to create a homogenous grove of themselves that produce these nearly inedible fruit and stink (yes the flower smell bad).

If you find Bradford pears, I highly recommend cutting most of the tree off and grafting edible pears onto them. This minimizes their ability to spread and at the very least makes them productive members of the ecosystem that wildlife and people can enjoy!

Cultivars

So what cultivars do I recommend?

• Chojuro Asian Pear: This variety tastes like butterscotch and has very sweet and crisp flavors.

• Starking® Hardy Giant™ Asian Pear: Another Asian type that is especially large with some disease resistance and a long shelf life.

• Colette Everbearing: Great for fresh eating, improved bartlett flavor, smooth texture, and great for fresh eating and canning. Cold hardy, developed in the Midwest.

• Abate Fetel: An ancient heirloom variety that has a very nuanced sweet flavor and beautiful elongated fruit. Best for baking and fresh eating.

• Beurre Hardy: An 1800s heirloom also called the “French butter” pear due to its silky-smooth texture and buttery flavor notes. Excellent for fresh eating or baking with.

• Red Clapp’s Favorite: A 1950’s discovery that is almost entirely red. One of the best tasting red pears, this variety has both wonderful ornamental value and excellent flavor that you won’t find in typical bartlett pear types.

• Seckel: Considered a Pennsylvania native pear, this small fruit has an incredibly unique flavor with good, spiced notes making it excellent for ciders or baking in particular.

An interesting account I recommend following is @Pearsofmaine on Instagram. She finds old heirloom pears around the state of Maine and it’s cool to see the diversity in what grows abandoned or wild in the Midwest.

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