The pear is a juicy, sweet edible pomaceous fruit. It usually has a round large bottom that narrows towards the top and a yellow, green, brown or red color of the skin. Some pears might be shaped like some apples.

Pear trees have between 10 and 18 meters in height, with a tall, narrow crown. The leaves can be oval or lanceolate in shape, between 2 and 12 centimeters long, and shiny green or silvery in color. The five petals flowers are usually white but sometimes have a yellow or pink shade, with about 3 centimeters in diameter.

Pears are used in making pear jams. The fruit is cut into pieces then mixed with water and sugar and cooked. A good jam is said to have an even consistency, an intense color and no free liquid.

Pears are also used in making jelly. The process is similar as in making jam but the pulp of the fruit is filtered after heating and only the juice is cooked. Gelatine may be added to fruit juice, or concentrated blocks. Good jelly is said o be clear, tender with a fresh flavor.

Perry is made of fermented pear juice, sometimes called pear cider. It is a common drink in Wales, Britain, and Normandy and Anjou, in France. It is usually made using the Blakeney Red variety of pear, a type that is of low eating quality due to it’s high acid and tannin levels but has great potential in perry.

The pears are a good source of Vitamin C that acts as an antioxidant in the body helping the immune function and stimulating the white cells to fight the infection by killing the bacteria and viruses. It also helps regenerating the Vitamin E.

Copper found in pears helps the body against the superoxide radicals, generated during metabolism, and during the destruction of bacteria and viruses. The radicals have to be eliminated quickly before they can damage the cell membranes.

As it contains fiber, pears are good for digestion preventing constipation. It reduces the cholesterol levels and the risk of atherosclerosis and diabetic heart disease. Fiber helps eliminating the bile salts and chemicals that can cause cancer in the colon.

The consumption of fiber, found in pears, also helps reducing the breast cancer risk.

The pear is also known as the fruit that is less likely to cause an allergic response, being recommended as first fruits to children.

As it is reach in Vitamin A, C and E1, eating pears everyday, for example at breakfast along with cereals, helps lowering the risk of age-related vision loss.

Pears should be mostly consumed when fully riped as the antioxidant level of vitamins rises. As the riped pears go bad rapidly the pears bought from the stores are unriped. Keep the fruits at a room temperature, apart from each other, to allow oxigen. For a fast ripening you can store the pears in paper bags or next to bananas.

Fruit facts summary:

- rich in Vitamin A

- 16% of daily value for dietary fiber

- 11% of daily value for Vitamin C

- 9% of daily value for copper

- 9% of daily value for potasium

- protection from free radicals

- reduces the cholesterol levels

- reduces colon cancer risk

- reduces breast cancer risk

- keeps your eyes healthy

- treats inflammation of mucous membranes, arthritis and gout

- good for the lungs and stomach