This kind of pear is strongly recommended to be eaten by "sucking".

Autumn is a good time to eat pears. There are many varieties of pears, but the most impressive one is the Beer pear.

The pear belongs to the category of pears, which is a general term for pear varieties. It is further subdivided into green pears, red pears, California pears, etc. Some have green and yellow skin, some have red skin, some are slender in shape, and some look like gourds. When eating pears, it is important to "eat soft pears rather than hard pears". The best time to eat pears is when they are fully ripe. That is, when you press lightly with your fingers and the flesh is slightly concave, you can enjoy it. At this time, the taste is delicate, the flesh is soft and juicy, and the sweetness is accompanied by a subtle sourness.

Especially when you bite into a fully ripe pear, it tastes like ice cream. You don’t need to chew it, the juice will naturally melt in your mouth. I strongly recommend you try “sucking” it, which will allow you to taste the delicate texture and rich juice of the pear more easily. It is unforgettable, as if you have sucked in the freshness and sweetness of the entire autumn in one gulp.

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Why are pears so fragrant and sweet?

The reason why pears taste sweet is that the sugars in pear juice mainly include fructose, glucose, sorbitol and sucrose. The highest content of sugar in pears is fructose, and the lowest content is sucrose. Data show that the fructose, glucose and sucrose contents of red pears are 6.48g/100g, 2.74g/100g and 0.26g/100g respectively.

It tastes slightly sour because it contains organic acids such as citric acid, malic acid, tartaric acid, and succinic acid. Studies have shown that the most abundant organic acid in pear juice is citric acid, followed by malic acid, and then quinic acid, tartaric acid and succinic acid. In addition, it also contains small amounts of lactic acid, oxalic acid, shikimic acid and fumaric acid.

Moreover, pears have a unique aroma that smells pleasant.

Some researchers analyzed the aroma components of the red pear Early Red Comics and found that the pear contains flavor substances such as esters, alcohols, aldehydes, ketones and alkenes. Butyl acetate, amyl acetate, hexyl acetate, 1,3-octanediol, 3-nonanol and α-farnesene are common volatile substances in pear cultivars. Aldehydes provide a grassy aroma, and esters, alcohols and alkenes have a floral and fruity aroma.

What are the nutritional properties of European pears?

At present, there are relatively few nutritional studies on red pears in my country. According to data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), most of the nutrients in red pears are not very outstanding, but the dietary fiber and mineral potassium content are relatively medium among fruits, which are 3 grams/100 grams and 123 milligrams/100 grams respectively. In addition, pears contain sufficient water, over 80%.

More intake of dietary fiber is beneficial to intestinal health, especially pears which are rich in soluble dietary fiber, which can not only absorb water and swell to make stool softer, but can also be fermented by intestinal microorganisms to produce short-chain fatty acids, thus improving the intestinal microecological environment.

In addition, pears are rich in sorbitol, which is highly hydrophilic and has an osmotic effect. It can increase the water content of feces, stimulate gastrointestinal motility, promote defecation, and change intestinal flora.

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Eating more potassium-rich fruits on a regular basis is good for your health. Our heartbeat, nerve conduction, muscle contraction and blood vessel tension all require the participation of potassium, and it is also helpful in stabilizing blood pressure.

As for the vitamin C in pears, it is a poor fruit, with only 5.2 mg/100 g, which is about the same as apples and only 1/20 of kiwis. Don't count on eating pears to supplement vitamin C! The calories in pears are not low among fruits, comparable to kiwis, at 62 kcal/100 g. The calories in strawberries we usually eat are only 32 kcal/100 g. If you are losing weight or controlling your weight, don't eat too much.

Pears are also rich in antioxidants, such as phenolic acid compounds, flavonoids and other active ingredients. Red pears are also rich in anthocyanins, and the content in the peel is higher than that in the flesh. Therefore, it is best not to throw away the peel when eating pears.

How to keep pears fresh?

The European pear is a type of fruit that produces respiratory climacteric. After being picked, it will continue to ripen under the action of its own ethylene. If the fully ripe fruit is not stored properly, it will quickly age, lose water, reduce its nutritional value, and even gradually rot.

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Therefore, if the pears you buy are fully ripe and a little soft when you pinch them, you can put them in the refrigerator directly. Refrigeration can not only better preserve the flavor of the pears and extend the shelf life, but also make the taste better. This is because, first of all, pears are rich in fructose and have a cold sweetness property. In an environment below 40°C, the lower the temperature, the sweeter it tastes. The sweetness of pears stored in the refrigerator for a period of time increases, and they taste great. Secondly, proper refrigeration can significantly increase the content of volatile substances such as esters, alcohols, ketones and olefins in pears, making their fragrance more fragrant.

It doesn't matter if the pears you buy are not fully ripe and are hard. You can leave them at room temperature or put them together with apples and bananas to ripen them, and then store them in the refrigerator when they are fully ripe.

Summarize:

Pears are a particularly popular fruit in our country, and the beer pear is a relatively special one. You can smell the rich aroma before you even eat it, and it is even more refreshing when you bite it. It is delicate, soft, sweet and juicy, and it is hard not to love it.

By the way, strawberry is not a kind of pear, but a strawberry, which has nothing to do with pears.

References

[1]https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/167777/nutrients

[2] Yi Anwei, Cheng Hong, Cheng Yudou, Hua Zhuqing, Yang Zhuang, Wang Yongxia, Guan Junfeng. Analysis of quality characteristics and antioxidant activity of pear juice from ‘Bart’ and ‘Zaohong Komis’[J]. Food and Fermentation Industries, 2024, 50(18): 123-133

[3] Yang Yuexin. Chinese Food Composition Table 6th Edition Volume 1[M]. Peking University Medical Press, 2018

[4] Xiao Changcheng. Study on the composition characteristics of anthocyanins in red pear peel and the physiological basis of coloration[D]. Nanjing Agricultural University, 2012.

Planning and production

Author: Xue Qingxin, one of the first nutrition instructors of the National Health Commission, and a registered nutritionist in China

Review | Ruan Guangfeng, Deputy Director of Kexin Food and Health Information Exchange Center