Pear

Get to know it

The pear is a teardrop-shaped fruit of the rose family that does its ripening after it's picked. Bought firm, it's crisp and a little tart; a few days on the counter make it sweeter and much juicier, the soft texture that once earned pears the name butter fruit. In the United States, Washington and Oregon grow about 88% of the fresh pears.

What it is

The pear in most shops is the European pear, a tree fruit of the rose family. Its flesh is soft when ripe, and it's picked before ripening on purpose: left to ripen on the tree, the flesh turns gritty with woody specks. There are thousands of varieties, but only about ten are grown for shops.

Each has its own shape, colour and flavour. Bartlett, the most popular in the United States, turns from green to yellow as it ripens, while Bosc and Concorde keep their colour, so you judge them by a gentle press near the stem. A red-skinned pear tastes no different for its colour. Asian pears are a different fruit.

Where it comes from

Pears as a group most likely began in the foothills of the Tian Shan, the mountains of western China. The European pear is native from Europe to northern Iraq, and the pear’s history goes back to about 1000 BC. They reached North America in the 1600s and were first planted in Massachusetts.

The world's 2025/26 pear crop, counting every kind, is forecast at 26.1 million tonnes, and 20.5 million of that grows in China. The United States grows about 565,000 tonnes, most of it in Washington and Oregon, which also grow more than 96% of its winter pears, such as Bosc and Anjou.

How it's eaten where it grows

In France, poire belle Hélène sets pears poached in sugar syrup beside vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce; the dessert is credited to Auguste Escoffier around 1864. In Switzerland, Birnbrot is a bread wrapped around a filling of dried pears, popular at Christmas and New Year.

In the west of England, most perry pear varieties come from Gloucestershire, Herefordshire and Worcestershire. Their juice is fermented into perry, a drink lighter and more floral than cider, and the National Perry Pear collection at Hartpury, Gloucestershire, keeps at least two trees of most known perry pears. Portugal's Rocha pear, 5.5 to 7.5 cm (2 to 3 in), has been protected as Pera Rocha do Oeste since 2003 and ships to more than 50 countries.

How it's grown

Pears grow on trees that reach 12 m (40 ft) and live for 75 years, though most are grafted onto dwarfing roots to keep them small. A tree takes 3 to 10 years to begin fruiting, and fruits best with a second variety nearby to share pollen.

Pickers harvest every pear by hand once it's fully mature but not yet ripe, and lay it in orchard bins. A pear left too long on the tree goes coarse and grainy, very soft, and often rotten inside.

When and where you'll find it

In the Pacific Northwest the harvest starts in August with Bartletts and runs through September and October with winter varieties; packers cool the fruit and hold it in storage rooms until it's sold, and about 35% of the crop goes abroad. In Connecticut, local pears are usually around from August to mid-September.

Argentina ships more pears than any country except China. Pears reach shops firm, so pick one that's firm but not rock-hard.

Sources · 11

Get it near Detroit

What it tastes like

Tarter than a banana, as sweet as a strawberry≈

Not sweetlemonSweet

MildapplelemonSour

SoftbananaappleCrisp

More about the taste

European dessert pears can become soft and butter-like when ripe. Varieties have individual flavors, and overmature fruit can turn coarse, grainy or mealy.

Shape and flavor vary by variety. A pear picked too late can turn grainy or break down inside even as it softens.

A tasting invitation

Try a crisp piece and a softer piece from the same variety on successive days; the texture can turn buttery, grainy or juicy.

Choose, ripen, store, eat

1ChooseRipe flesh yields near stem
Look for
Ripe flesh yields near stem
Pear aroma
Neck gives a little
For eating now, press gently near the stem: ripe flesh yields and gives a pear aroma. Firm fruit is useful if you want it to finish ripening at home.
2RipenOn the counter
Ripens after pickingCounterPaper bag
Ripen mature picked European pears in a cool room and check daily. Some winter varieties need prior chilling; commercially packed pears should already be prepared to ripen.
3StoreFridge, ripe
1. FridgeRipe
Once ripe, eat promptly or refrigerate. For preserving, choose pears firmer than you'd want for fresh eating.
4EatFlesh · not core
Eat
Flesh
Not eaten
Core
Use the flesh and remove the core. Peel for a tart or jam; fresh pears don't need peeling.

More tips

A useful detail Bartlett turns from green to yellow as it ripens, but Bosc and Concorde show little color change.

Worth knowing

Ask whether farm-bought pears have already been conditioned. Check the neck as they ripen instead of counting days alone.
A firm European pear can still ripen well; firmness alone won't tell you whether it was picked at the right stage.
Use more than a calendar count: check the neck gently and notice the aroma. Not every pear needs to turn buttery soft to be ready.

Detroit, Michigan

When it’s good here

Grown hereAug–Sep

Ships from other statesAll year

Orderable$33.99Checked Oct 19Organic Warren Pears · 2lbs · Frog Hollow Farm$33.99

76 growing areas, 24 countries

Aomori
Araucanía
Argentina +3
Baden-Württemberg +5
Balochistan
Cáceres
California
Coquimbo
Eastern Cape
Espírito Santo
Florida
Fujian
Gelderland
Hawaii
Huelva
Ica
Jeju
Kent
Kerman
Malatya
New South Wales
Otago
Queensland
South Africa
Washington +1
Yunnan
You

Grows hereIn season nowOther monthsYou

20 of 35 areas · October

1415

Growing areas by country

United States13
Spain9
Australia6
Chile6
Argentina5
Brazil4
China4
France3

and 19 more countriesand 16 more countries

In Connecticut, pears reach school kitchens as pear sauce and spiced-pear muffins. Local supply peaks in late summer, and storage extends it beyond harvest.
Connecticut, United States

544 varieties

See all 544 varieties

49 names in 10 languages

Cook it

How to serve it first

Slice a ripe pear over a bowl of thick yogurt, or pair wedges with a few walnuts and a mild blue cheese. For a warm dish, poach firm-ripe pears gently and let the fruit remain the main flavor.

Recipes 3

2 pear festivals

Feira Nacional da Pêra RochaAugBombarral, Leiria, Portugal · Organiser ↗Aug

Kelseyville Pear FestivalSepKelseyville, California, United States · Organiser ↗Sep

Festivals this month →

Strange but true

If you like Pear

Tastes alike

Close relatives

Asian pear≈crunchier

Nutrition, sources

Nutrition

Pears, raw, bartlett (Includes foods for USDA's Food Distribution Program) · per 100 g

Energy63kcal · 264 kJ

Carbohydrate: 15 g
Fiber: 3.1 g
Sugars: 9.7 g
Protein: 0.4 g
Fat: 0.2 g
Vitamin C: 4.4 mg
Potassium: 101 mg

Sources

Pear · Fruitopia · checked Sep 21, 2026

What we don't know yet

This ripening advice is for European pears, not crisp Asian pears.