The versatile and healthy fruit is versatile enough to use in any type of menu or cuisine: sliced onto pizza, diced into salads, or muddled behind the bar.
December is National Pear Month, and the celebration of this versatile and healthy fruit is a good reminder of its menu appeal throughout the seasons. With availability strongest from early fall through the beginning of summer, operators use fresh pears both as a seasonal menu feature and a year round staple.
Ten varieties of USA Pears are available, each with its own color, flavor, shape, and texture, and chefs know that pears are versatile enough to use in any type of menu or cuisine. Sliced onto pizza, diced into salads, or muddled behind the bar, the menu ideas and flavor combinations for this fresh fruit are limitless.
A recent study of fresh USA Pears on 2014 foodservice menus conducted by Mintel for the Pear Bureau Northwest revealed that salads lead the way with the most menu mentions, followed by desserts, entrees and appetizers. The study also showed that fresh pear usage in sandwiches and beverages is continuing to climb.
During December and throughout the year, try adding pears to unexpected dishes, such as soups and beverages, or incorporate twists to menu staples, such as pasta to create Fettuccine with Pears, Radicchio, Walnuts and Spicy Chicken Sausage.
Not only do pears act as a freshness cue, they also pack a powerful nutritional punch—which is more important than ever with mandated menu labeling scheduled to take effect in late 2016. An excellent source of fiber (24 percent DV), a medium-sized pear also provides 10 percent DV of Vitamin C at just 100 calories. Sweet and juicy with no fat, no sodium and no cholesterol, pears lend a fresh factor and touch of sophistication to dishes across menu parts.
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