How Does This Ayurvedic Food Improve Wellness?

CLINICAL AYURVEDIC REVIEW

Pears are a soothing, cooling, and Kapha friendly fruit that calms the heart and relieves restlessness. Western naturopaths consider pears to be hypoallergenic, a safe choice for those with food sensitivities.

Their cold and expectorant qualities are used in Chinese medicine when heat conditions dry up fluids in the lungs. Their lubricating action also relieves cough, especially when the juice is combined with rock candy. Although pears quench thirst they are also a diuretic.

In ancient Greece, pears were used to treat nausea. They are laxative and a good source of fiber. Too many pears, however, will have an excess cooling effect on digestion, aggravating Vata and Kapha. Avoid eating pears late at night, or if you have acid reflux.

Pears are also high in vitamin C and copper

About Pears

Pears are an ancient fruit eaten since pre-historic times. Older varieties of pear had a hardened flesh that required hours of cooking to soften. Impossible to eat raw, the Romans stewed pears with honey and spices. Around the 18th century pears were bred to have a softer, sweeter flesh more common in produce stores today. Despite breeding, pear flesh contains stone cells, which are grittier than the flesh of their related cousin, the apple.

Buying & Preparation

Pears are generally cultivated in cold, temperate climates. They are hardy, even growing as far north as Scandinavia. Although pears have become wild in Europe and form part of the natural vegetation of the forest, the genus originated in western China in the foothills of the Tian Shan. Pears ripen from the inside out; the best way to judge ripeness is to "check the neck." Since pears perish soon after ripening, they are generally sold unripe in the grocery store. When left at room temperature they will usually ripen within a few days after purchase. Storing them in the fridge will slow the ripening process. If you buy them in bulk and want to stretch your pear-eating time, try putting a third in the fridge, a third in a bowl, and a third next next to bananas that will help them ripen sooner. Ripe pears for days!

Recipes with Pears: Cucumber Pear Juice Smoothie

Cooking Pears

Pears are eaten raw, stewed, canned, as juice, or dried. They are often paired with raisins, nuts, sugar, and spices when cooked. Raw or cooked, pears are a frequent ingredient in gourmet salads, where they are often drizzled in balsamic vinegar. Cooking pears are generally harder than varieties eaten raw, and have a snappy crunch. Fermented pear juice is called perry or pear cider.Browse Recipes