Asian Pears are inexpensive and come wrapped in a lacy jacket. To me, they appear to be more like an odd apple than a pear. The taste, a mild pear flavor with the crispy, juicy texture of an apple, made for an enjoyable snack. The hardest part of eating the fruit was knowing for sure it was ripe. It never softened up like a Bartlett pear, nor put out a tantalizing scent. I finally searched for some information and found this little blurb: “Check the pear for a springy texture.” This advice proved to be reliable and the pear I chose to eat was indeed ripe. More information on Asian Pears can be found on: EHow – How to tell if an Asian Pear is ripe.

My husband and I wondered if Asian Pears are the type used in fruit cocktail; the cubed pears in the canned fruit mix are usually very firm. Will I buy one again? Probably not. The flavor was not as nice as a perfectly ripe Bartlett, and the taste of an apple is also much better. I’ll stick to those two favorites and leave the Asian Pears in the grocer’s bin.