Asian Pears can accurately be dubbed “the ugly duckling” of the fruit world. They have a very thin skin and have the tendency to develop dark marks on their skin when they rub against each other. This marking is not a bruise, as the flesh of the Asian pear is still firm.
However, once the skin turns dark, folks tend to find the Asian pear unattractive. So, since the Asian pear is thin skinned (and we don’t want them to have hurt feelings because no one wants to take them home!) – we have purchased “fruit sleeves” to protect the fruit from rubbing marks.
Many supermarkets request that their pear suppliers package Asian pears in these protective sleeve or in other protective packaging. We hope you appreciate the extra care we are taking, and trust that these Asian pears are still the Kuhn Orchards farm fresh pears you have grown to enjoy over the years.
When you purchase your Asian pears, you are more than welcome to take the pear sleeve home. Feel free to return them to us as market and we will happily re-use them later.
If you are unfamiliar with Asian pears, they are large, sweet and extremely crunchy. Some varieties have a skin that is brown with a golden hue, and others have a yellow speckled skin. Their texture is strikingly different than other pears, such as Bartlett or Bosc. If you are not keen on the texture of Bartlett or Bosc pears, try a sample of the Asian pears.
Some supermarkets are taking the liberty to market Asian pears as “Pear Apples” which is misleading in some regard, but might help people connect the pear to being crunchy. Who knows. Unlike Bartlett pears which become soft when ripe, Asian pears are meant to be eaten when they are firm. Since Asian pears grow to be so large, they are a nice fruit to give as a gift and share with guests accompanied with wine and cheese. They are also excellent on salads with blue cheese or Gouda. Try some soon….you may find that, yes, you do indeed like pears!
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