There is nothing like the pleasure of biting into a delicious, juicy, crunchy Asian pear! Asian pears don’t have a ton of flavor, but what they lack in taste they make up for in texture. Raw packing means you can work with the pears more easily to fit them into the jar, but it has consequences for quality. This pear harvest schedule shows typical dates and is posted for customer convenience, but please don't depend solely on it. Although the outside appearance of each Asian pear may differ, all varieties are crunchy, juicy and sweet. Depending on the variety, Melissa's Asian Pears vary in size. They’re also known as apple pears or Chinese pears. You can buy an asian pear at your local big box store, but if you want one to last and produce good fruit, you will have to do the research. Select Asian pears, also sometimes called apple pears, that are fragrant and without bruises. The pear is native to coastal and mildly temperate regions of the Old World, from Western Europe and North Africa east across Asia.It is a medium-sized tree, reaching 10–17 m (33–56 ft) tall, often with a tall, narrow crown; a few species are shrubby.. Age-Old Wisdom meets Modern Tools . Rather, it is the descendant of two Asian species of pear. Along with cultivars of P. × bretschneideri and P. ussuriensis, the fruit is also called the nashi pear. Use for fresh-eating, cooking/baking, canning, drying, freezing, juice, and jams. Check out our selection of grafted trees, semi-dwarfs and hardy rootstocks. The pears have a delicate, sweet flavor. Simply put, pick the fruit that looks the most appealing to you. This ready-to-eat feature may make them more acceptable to some people than European pears that are usually served when soft and juicy, which takes about a week to occur after removal from cold storage. Lee Orchard Garden – Cranbury, Middlesex County. Asian pears also store in refrigeration much longer than European pears. Crisp, bell-shaped fruit matures late July to Early August and is very productive. You can also find unique Korean products that you won’t find elsewhere. Shows resistance to fire blight. You can bake them into desserts such as pies, tarts, crisps or crumbles. It is not added as a preservative. Sugar is added to improve flavor, help stabilize color, and retain the shape of the fruit. Cooking with Asian Pears. Delicious Holiday Gift ideas! Asian pears are not like the usual pear you can buy in your supermarket. Their unique texture and explosion of taste make them a sell-out every year, so order them while you can! Asian pears comprise a large group of pears that are crisp in texture and, when mature, are good to eat as soon as harvested or for several months after picking if held in cold storage. Visit our shop page for our mail order fruit as well as our seasonal Asian Pear gifts. The hawthorn scented blossom is quite early and the circular pear-like fruits have a crisp apple like texture. They can be held in cold storage for several months. Later ripening varieties keep very well in storage, sometimes over the entire winter. This variety of Asian Pear is much juicier than our other varieties of Asian Pears and slightly less grainy. Among the plethora of fresh apples and a variety of pears dotting the produce shelves, you’ll soon find Korean Pears. Varieties include Olympic, Hosui, Peggy, Moonglow, Korean Giant, and Maxie. They are a great source of vitamin B and C. One large Asian pear also contains about 30% of your daily fiber intake and helps to promote healthy cholesterol. Pears relieve dryness, help stop coughing, and strengthen blood and muscles. They also go great sliced with cheese platters. Native to eastern Asia, the pears are commonly served at holidays and special occasions. Asian pears are ready for harvest when they come away easily from the spur or branch when they are lifted and twisted slightly. Asian pears are in season; where to find them, plus 7 recipes - Los Angeles Times Asian pears are delicious when included in your favorite recipes. Over the years, our customers have made them into pies, tarts, 'baked apples', poached pears, and more. Determining the best time to harvest is important and not always obvious. The list is a little out of date, but with some searching, you will be able to find your answers. Tennosui Asian Pear-WHERE TO BUY THIS VARIETY-Assumed to be a chance cross of TENN (also known as Tennessee pear) and Hosui pear. Deciding on the best substitute will depend on what you need it for. Their color may also vary from yellow to brown, and the skin may be smooth or speckled. Asian pears keep well: You can store them for about a week at room temperature or for several months in the refrigerator. They are … I prefer the latter as I find the flesh to be softer and sweeter. The Asian pear is often called “pear apple” although it is not a cross between an apple and a pear. Often called apple pears or oriental pears, they are shaped more like an apple. It’s hard and crisp when ripe, not like other pears that must soften to be ripe. The tree's edible fruit is known by many names, including: Asian pear, Japanese pear, Chinese pear, Korean pear, Taiwanese pear, apple pear, zodiac pear, three-halves pear, papple and sand pear. Knowing how to cook with Asian pears means understanding their texture--the fruit is juicier than an apple but crisper than traditional pears. Pears can lower blood pressure. Garden Planning Apps. Asian pears keep very well. If you need help designing your vegetable garden, try our Vegetable Garden Planner. I can’t think of another fruit that is simultaneously crisp and juicy. < All Guides. During some harvest seasons, some pears are available before or after the dates shown in this schedule. When you are buying them, try to find fragrant and firm fruit with little or no bruises on the skin. Olympic (aka: Korean Giant)Season: late September - February Olympic is our final variety of Asian Pear to ripen in the fall and is also our best keeper. Most that we find in the U.S. are Japanese varieties which are round. Growing nashi pears (Asian Pears) involve a few steps you’d like to know. USDA Zones: 5 to 9. Asian Pears must be packed in a solution of water and sugar or fruit juice. Olympic's flesh is also very crisp and sweet. Asian pears have been grown in China for 2,000 years, and have been treasured in Japan since the 8th Century. Little known a decade ago, Asian pears have become very popular, particularly at farmers markets. You can find as many as nine or 10 different varieties. A family-owned farm in Middlesex county, this pear farm in NJ grows Asian pear, 20th century, Olympic giants, known as Korean Pears, apple pears, and table grapes. Nashi pear, which is also called as Asian pear is native to East Asia and also grown across Australia, Europe and America. If it is mushy and brown, you likely won't choose those pears to bring home. Round and crisp as an apple, but juicy and flavorful as a ripe pear, our Imperial Asian Pears have become an enormously popular variety! Self-fruitful. Asian pears are self fertile but produce a better crop when two or more varieties are planted together. Apples, pears, persimmons, pomegranates, there is no shortage of fruits in the fall. Peeled vs Unpeeled. Pyrus pyrifolia is a species of pear tree native to East Asia. It's up to you which to use. Our mail order pears will become the favorite for your table, as well as, exciting to share as delicious fruit gift baskets. The pear seeds should be dark brown or black before harvest. Asian pears are not commonly grown in our area. Anjou or Bosc pear look and taste similar to Asian pear, making them a good replacement for eating out of hand, adding to salads, desserts, and cheese boards. Asian pear is the generic name for over 25 different varieties of this fruit. Cooler summers will delay the ripening process but a warmer one will hasten it. Deliciously Sweet and Low in Acidity One variety in a vast category of Asian pears, the Shinseiki are medium-sized, round, have yellow skin and are desirable because they are tasty when crisp (at harvest) as well as ripened to a softer, but still firm, texture after many months in cold storage. 150-450 hrs. They also don’t work well for canning without sugar (if that’s your preference.) Cut fruit remains crisp and tasty and is slow to oxidize. The following are some of the health benefits of Asian pears and tasty recipes to use them in. How many cups is a pound of pears? They are not cheap, selling for up to $6 per pound online and at supermarkets. They need no after-ripening storage period. Asian pears ( Pyrus serotina ) are sweet and juicy like a pear and crunchy much like an apple . Read this article on how to grow Asian pears to find them out. Asian pears tend to be more expensive than regular pears and apples because they are much more difficult to grow. Seeds start out white and progress to dark brown or black. They retain that quality when canned and their delicate taste makes them the perfect foil for any number of flavors you want to impose on them. .Use the taste test; they're ready when they taste good. They bloom earlier but won’t ripen off the tree as European pears do. The Asian pear isn’t always easy to find and even if it is stocked in your local store, the prices can be expensive. Asian pears can be raw packed into jars as they are, or they can be hot packed. From what I read, they are very apple-like. They are effective in soothing a dry itchy throat, ease sore throat pain, and alleviate a hoarse voice. Our Asian Pear gifts, filled with our Asian Pears, is a wonderful way to discover their supremely juicy, crisp and sweet flavor first hand. I often see two types grown locally – one with a thick, brown skin and one with a thin, yellow-green skin. At least they are not readily available in my area. … Asian pears are still in season here in the Pacific Northwest and we just can’t get enough of these little gems! Asian pears (Pyrus pyrifolia) have harder flesh and a slightly different shape than European types. Asian pears are also called more specifically Chinese, Japanese, Oriental and apple pears. Asian pears, unlike European pears, should be allowed to ripen on the tree. Many types grow 15 feet tall or so and most are partially self-fertile. A Korean Pear is like the love child of a big green apple and a Bosc pear — round, bigger than typical pears, with a crisp, sweet, white interior with a brownish-yellow skin. Maybe it’s time you tried growing Asian pears, too. Asian pears range in color from green to yellow to brown. A scientist with no farming experience has planted thousands of trees for U-pick customers. Most Asian pears do not require as many hours of cold as the European pears, but they can withstand frost. Soil pH: 5.8 – 7. At room temperature, Asian pears will last two to three weeks before losing their crunchy textur. Asian Pears: August 23- Mid-October *** NOTICE *** Weather conditions often cause ripening dates and fruit availability to vary from year to year. Asian Pears grow well in most parts of the country excluding the colder Northern area's where they will benefit from a more protected position. Add one of these productive and easy to grow fruit trees to your garden or orchard. Asian pears differ from European pears in that they are ripe when harvested and are meant to be crunchy. They also taste great sautéed, pureed, roasted or baked into chips. Raw packed Asian pears don’t store as well, will float in the jar and will discolor over time. All Asian pears are all-purpose. The fruit is sweet and juicy, often described as refreshing. You can do lots of things with asian pears to preserve them. Olympic's sweet, caramel-like flavor intensifies over time. Also when green skin color starts to change to yellow, they're ripe. Want to Receive Alerts When Pests are Heading Your Way? Below is a link to a listing of possible sources. Eating Asian Pears Storing Asian Pears. Most varieties are now proving self fertile; these are attractive trees to grow with good autumn foliage tints. Asian Pears. Difficulty: Easy to Moderate. Cut them up and add them to salads for a sweet and refreshing crunch. They can be used in cooking in any way you would use apples or pears. Benefits of Asian pears.