On April 10 and 12, the preK – K children at Anaheim Hills and Historic Anaheim Preschool students enjoyed an interactive presentation about PEARS. The children learned that pears come in a variety of colors, shapes and sizes, even flavors.
Do you know your pear varieties?
Can you guess? Hint: Some varieties come in more than one color.
Which varieties of pears are available in the color Red? = a Red Anjou, Red Bartlett and Starkrimson pear
What about Brown? = a Bosc pear
Yellow? A Bartlett pear turns from green to yellow when fully ripe.
Green? The Comice or Green Anjou pear is sweet and stays green even when fully ripe!
Red and Green and tiny? The Seckel are bite-size, crunchy and super sweet. They are green with a dark red blush. Perfect for a child’s lunchbox or after school treat.
Beige and round and crunchy? = an Asian or “Apple” Pear. These pears are unusual because of their unique shape - not your typically bottom heavy pear shape or flavor. Some students thought this pear looked like a softball because it was so large and round.
Healthy habits are easier to practice when learned early. The children were good sports and enthusiastically sampled a fresh pear, a canned pear and a dried pear. Everyone had smiles and some students asked for seconds.
FUN FACTS
FLOAT OR SINK?
Do pears float or sink when placed in water? The children had fun guessing if the same size apple and pear would float or sink in a large container of water. Guess what? Apples float! Pears don’t! Apples float because they contain more air. Pears sink because they are more dense than apples and contain less air. Pears can’t “breathe” or exchange oxygen and it’s also the reason why apples stay fresher longer.
CHECK THE NECK
Pears are one of the few fruits that don’t ripen on the tree. Check the “neck” of the pear for ripeness. If it gives under pressure, the pear is ready to be eaten. If it’s still hard, wait a couple more days. For best results, ripen at room temperature for 4 to seven days. Some pears, like the Anjou can take up to 10 days to fully ripen. A ripe pear is a sweet pear and is worth the wait.
For more information, games and puzzles about pears check out these websites:
RESOURCES:
Contributed by Leslie K. Kay-Getzinger, MS, RD, Regional Dietitian for Nutrition Management Services
