Shoppers should look for variety in pears

Pears being in season, there’s some timely information on this favorite fruit offered among food and cooking features in All You magazine’s premiere issue.

On a shopping trip for pears, look for these varieties in the stores and keep these comments about them in mind when you’re deciding which to buy:

• Anjou: Slightly sweet, best eaten fresh or poached. Not good in pies.
• Bartlett: Thin-skinned, juicy when ripe, highly versatile.
• Bosc: Firm texture, nutty aroma. Great for poaching and in pies, muffins and preserves. Good to eat firm or very ripe.
• Comice: The juiciest of all pears when ripe. Great to eat raw and in salads. Not good cooked.
• Forelle: Small, very sweet with dense flesh. OK for pies.
• Seckel: Similar to Forelle in size, texture and flavor. Too small for pies, but good in jams and preserves.

A tip for cooks: Remember that pear skin tastes bitter when cooked. Peel the fruit before using.