Pears are fruits produced and consumed around the world and are a species of Pyrus.
A pear tree grows in heavy soil. The pear is an edible fruit that can be baked, canned, frozen, eaten fresh, made into jams, jellies, or juice.
The tree is native to Europe, North Africa, and Asia. The wood is used in high-quality woodwind instruments and furniture.
The pears come from a tree named Pyrus communis, can grow up to 20 meters tall, and live an average of 65 years. Its flowers are pink or white, and it needs soil that is neither too dry nor too wet.
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Pear Facts for Kids
- Pears come in over 3000 varieties
- They ripen best off the tree
- There are 100 calories in a medium pear
- The United States grows the most pears in the world
- Most pears sold in the United States come from Oregon and Washington.
What to know about pears
Pears are consumed fresh, canned, as juice, and dried. They can also be made into jellies and jams.
The pears will ripen faster if placed next to bananas in a fruit bowl, and the best way to judge ripeness is to check the neck.
The culinary pear is green but hard and is not edible until it has been cooked. Pear Wood is used for kitchen spoons and stirrers.
The fruit of the pear can be up to 18 cm (7 in) long and 8 cm (3 in) wide and can be oblate, globose, or of the classic pyriform shape.
There are 3000 varieties of pears grown worldwide. The fruit of the pear is produced on spurs, which appear on shoots of more than one year old.
Three species of pear account for a vast majority of pear fruit production, the European pear, Chinese white pear, and Nashi pear.
How long do pears live for
Pears can be stored at room temperature until ripe, then refrigerated in a single layer. They have a shelf life of 2 to 3 days and can be ripened by placing them next to bananas in a fruit bowl.
How are Pears Used
Pears are consumed fresh, canned, as juice, and dried. Their juice is used to make perry or pear cider, which is distilled to produce brandy.
Cooking pears (Gieser Wildeman and Saint Remy) are used to manufacture snack foods.
Pearwood is used for the manufacture of high-quality woodwind instruments, furniture and for making the carving blocks for woodcuts. It is also used for kitchen spoons, scoops, and stirrers and to produce aromatic smoke.
The History for the Pear
Pear cultivation in cool, temperate climates dates back to prehistoric times, and traces of it have been found in prehistoric pile dwellings around Lake Zurich.
The word pear (or it’s equivalent) occurs in all Celtic languages, and differing appellations are found in Slavic and other dialects.
The pear was also cultivated by the Romans, who stewed them with honey and introduced the fruit to Britain.
The pear P. nivalis is used in the manufacture of perry and is found wild in western France and southwestern England.
The Pyrus species originated in present-day Western China and spread to the north and south along mountain chains in Asia. The Pyrus genus has evolved into over 20 widely recognized primary species.
