best pears for eating raw

[Anonymous]

I am trying to introduce some new fruits in our house. I've never been one to eat pears, but given that they are in season I'm starting with pears - I bought an asian pear today and it is really bland and flavorless. Which pear do you recommend? I like sweet and tart apples, you name it, but I just need some kind of flavor!

[Anonymous]

I like Anjou pears. They are really sweet and juicy when ripe. The key to pears is to let them ripen in a paper bag for a few days. I hate underripe pears.

[Anonymous]

It's hard to beat a good Bartlett pear - but as pp said you need to make sure it's ripe before you eat it (it will be slightly soft to the touch and smell like a pear . If you find red pears though buy a ton (especially at Wegmans) these are delicious! Oh, and you may want to peel the pear to start off with. Some kids aren't keen on the peel.

[Anonymous]

Thank you, PPs. You've given me some good varieties to try, plus I now think the problem with the asian pear I bought may have been that it was not ripe, because it was very firm (like an apple).

[Anonymous]

that's interesting. a good asian pear should be very sweet. still firm, though.

[Anonymous]

bosc too. I would try getting an Asian pear from an Asian market. Or it might just be that mass production doesn't do them any favors. I agree with PP, they should taste sweet and crisp.

[Anonymous]

This may not be a good year for pears. I adore the red bartletts and I haven't found a good one yet. All have been on the mealy side.

[Anonymous]

Comice! Hands down. You can't always find these but they are amazing when they're good...so juicy and a really unique pear flavor. I am tempted to say slightly floral, but that's really accurate. Skin can be a little thick sometimes, so peel if desired.

[Anonymous]

Oops, meant to say NOT really accurate.

[Anonymous]

We love Bosc- but I think with all pears, they have to be REALLY ripe to be REALLY delicious. So sometimes they need a few days in a brown paper bag IMO.

[Anonymous]

I love Bartlett pears, but a good Asian pear is also great. They should be firm, very crisp and yet juicy.The flavor is not as strong, but they are incredibly refreshing when just ripe.