Welcome to Tasty Tidbits, your go-to guide for making the most out of the fresh, local produce that you find at Alabama farmers markets, including pears! Brought to you by Live Well Alabama, each edition highlights a delicious fruit or vegetable, providing nutrition facts, simple storage and cooking tips, and new recipe ideas. Get ready to explore fresh flavors, boost your meals with nutritious ingredients, and enjoy the best of what Alabama’s farms have to offer.

Nutrition Nuggets

• Low in fat and sodium.
• High in fiber for a healthy digestive system.
• Contains potassium for heart health and antioxidants for a strong immune system.

How to Store

• Keep away from ethylene-sensitive produce like broccoli, carrots, peppers, leafy greens, and watermelon.
• Store whole, firm pears at room temperature until ripe.
• Refrigerate ripe pears for up to 5 days to slow ripening.

How to Prepare

• Wash and dry.
• For halves: Cut lengthwise and remove the core with a spoon or melon baller.
• For slices or cubes: Cut into halves, remove the core, then slice lengthwise or cube.

How to Enjoy

• Eat raw with cheese and honey as a crunchy snack.
• Add to salads, yogurt, oatmeal, smoothies, soups, or fruit salsa.
• Roast, grill, poach, or bake into chips.
• Use in preserves, breads, and desserts.

Did You Know? There are around 100 varieties of pears grown worldwide. Bartlett, Bosc, and D’Anjou are the most popular.

Recipes 

4 Quick and Easy Pear Snacks 

• Pear slices + 2 tablespoons nut butter + whole grain toast. Spread nut butter on whole grain toast, add sliced pears, and enjoy. 
• Pear slices + 6 ounces of yogurt. Dip pear slices into yogurt and enjoy. 
• Pear slices + 2 tablespoons nut butter. Dip pears into nut butter and enjoy. 
• Pear slices + 1 ounce of cheese of choice + whole grain crackers. Top crackers with a pear slice, add a cube of cheese, and enjoy. 

Easy Baked Pears 

Ingredients

• 4 pears, halved with core removed 
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon 
• ½ cup chopped nuts 
• 2 tablespoons honey 

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 
• Sprinkle pear halves with cinnamon and nuts, and then drizzle with honey. 
• Bake for 25 to 30 minutes. Allow to cool to room temperature. 

Pear Spinach Salad

Ingredients

Dressing

• 1/3 cup fresh squeezed blood orange juice 
• ¼ cup olive oil 
• 2 tablespoons honey 
• ½ teaspoon thyme 
• ¼ teaspoon salt 

Salad

• 5 to 6 cups baby spinach 
• 2 pears, sliced thin 
• 2 blood oranges, peeled and sliced 
• ½ cup pecan halves 
• ½ cup dried cranberries 
• ½ cup feta cheese crumbles 

Directions

• In a small bowl, whisk together all dressing ingredients and set aside. 
• On a large platter, add spinach. Top with remaining salad ingredients.
• Immediately before serving, drizzle dressing over salad and toss to coat. 

Learn More

For more Tasty Tidbits, visit www.LiveWellAlabama.com.

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