Pear
stoofpeer · handpeer · Pyrus communis
Pear: what every chef needs to know
Walk through any serious kitchen and you will spot The pear: a pome fruit with a large number of varieties ranging from soft and sweet (Conference, Doyenné du Comice) to firm and suitable for braising (Gieser Wildeman, Saint-Rémy). In commercial kitchens, pears are used in desserts, salads, meat accompaniments, chutneys and poached preparations. Braising pears discolour during cooking and turn a beautiful Bordeaux red through tannins.
Pear: nutritional values per 100g (rauw, zonder schil)
Based on unprocessed product. Source: NEVO 2021 (RIVM/WUR) — the Dutch food composition database, managed by RIVM and Wageningen University.
Nutritional values are indicative for unprocessed raw materials. Preparation method, variety and origin may affect values. Source: NEVO 2021 (RIVM/WUR).
Pear: classic dishes
Proven preparations from the professional kitchen — from haute cuisine to global restaurant classics. Use as inspiration for menu development and recipe costing.
classic French peertaart of crispy pâte brisée stuffed with frangipane (amandelvulling) and poached peerhalven. Vernoemd to the Rue Bourdaloue in Parijs where the tart for the first verscheen around 1850. the most iconic peertaart of the French patisserie.
vanilla-ijs with poached peerhalven and warm chocoladesaus, sprinkled with chopped almonds. Uitgevonden through Auguste Escoffier in 1864, vernoemd to the operette La Belle Hélène of Offenbach. one of the most beroemde desserts from the classic French kitchen.
fresh peerplakken served with Roquefort or other blauwkaas, walnuts and honey. classic French aperitief of kaasgang where the sweetness of pear the intensity of the blauwkaas tempert. simple and onsterfelijk in bistro's and brasseries.
poached pear in red wine with cinnamon, star anise, sinaasappelschil and sugar. at aansnijden onthult the exterior a dieprode colour, the interior remains crème. classic French winterdessert, served with crème anglaise of whipping cream.
fermented drankje of peerensap, traditional gemaakt of small, bitter perenrassen That not suitable are to to eten. Oorspronkelijk from Herefordshire (Engeland) and Normandië. historically evenwaardig to appelcider in the European boerentraditie.
fresh salad of rocket of endive, pear, gorgonzola dolce, walnuts and honey-mosterdvinaigrette. popular in Italian restaurants and Dutch bistro's. the combination of sweet, salt, bitter and nuts is a smaakstructuur-classic.
Pear: preparation techniques
Exact temperatures and times for HACCP compliance. Core temperature is leading for poultry and pork.
use red wine, cinnamon, clove and star anise. pear must soft are but not uiteenvallen. core temperature approximately 80 °C.
directly insmeren with lemon juice after cut: pear oxideert quickly (enzymatische bruinkleuring).
firm rassen (Conference): halveer and pens dwars. Bestrijk with butter and honey. Grillstrepen give karamelnoot.
Pear: HACCP storage and food safety
Based on Codex Alimentarius (WHO/FAO) and EU Regulation 852/2004. Consult your national authority (NVWA/FDA/FSANZ) for applicable local standards.
Pear: global seasonal overview
Availability per climate zone — Northern Europe, Mediterranean and warm climate. Relevant for purchasing planning and international menus.
Pear season runs from August to December in Northern Europe. Dutch and Belgian Conference pears are renowned worldwide.
Pear: EU-14 allergen information
Full overview compliant with EU Regulation 1169/2011 (Annex II). Raw material information — always verify with your supplier for processed products and possible traces.
Raw material information (unprocessed product). Processed products may contain traces. EU Regulation 1169/2011 Annex II.
Pear: wine pairings
Every wine recommendation is verified via at least 4 independent sources: wine specialists, sommeliers and culinary authorities. Serving temperatures conform to Wine Enthusiast and Vintec guidelines.
Demi-sec Vouvray is the classic reference at peerdesserts: the kweepeertonen and honeyed rijpheid of Chenin blanc match precisely to on the delicate, sweet-floral flavour of Conference, Williams of Doyenné du Comice. Tarte Bourdaloue with a glas Vouvray demi-sec is gastronomisch erfgoed of the Loire-vallei.
- Vouvray Demi-Sec (Domaine Huet: Le Mont Demi-Sec, Foreau, Champalou)
- Montlouis-sur-Loire Demi-Sec (betaalbaar alternatief)
- Vouvray Moelleux (zoeter, voor peerdesserts)
- Coteaux du Layon (bij peer-blauwe kaas)
at pear-gorgonzola of pear-blauwkaas-combinations is Gewürztraminer the only wine That both kanten of the pairing complements: the floral lychee-notes fit at the pear, while the greasy body and light sweetness the intensity of gorgonzola tempert. classic of the Elzas at kaasplanken.
- Alsace Gewürztraminer (Trimbach, Hugel, Zind-Humbrecht)
- Alsace Gewürztraminer Vendanges Tardives (voor dessert-kaas combinaties)
- Gewürztraminer Alto Adige DOC (droger, bij hartige toepassingen)
- Tokaji Furmint Dry (Hongarije, voor gevorderd)
the pepper note and apple-citrus acids of Grüner Veltliner match to on the light, fresh notes of pear in savoury salads. at pear-walnut-gorgonzola salad of pear-rocket provides GV the benodigde freshness without the fine peersmaken to overwhelm.
- Wachau Federspiel GV (toegankelijk, lichter)
- Wachau Smaragd GV (voller, bij warme gerechten)
- Kamptal GV DAC (Bründlmayer, Loimer)
- Kremstal GV DAC (Nigl)
the mineral, citrusy freshness of Sancerre Sauvignon blanc is the perfect counterpart at pear-kaassalade: the cuts through the fat of the cheese and brings the delicate peersmaken to voren. one of the most popular aperitief-pairings in Parisian bistro's.
- Sancerre Blanc (Henri Bourgeois, Domaine Vacheron, Lucien Crochet)
- Pouilly-Fumé (de Ladoucette, Didier Dagueneau)
- Touraine Sauvignon (betaalbaar alternatief)
- Albariño Rías Baixas (Spaans alternatief)
Riesling Auslese with are perfect balance of perachtige fruitigheid, acidity and restsuiker is a classic choice at peerdesserts. at Poires Belle Hélène of poached pear with chocoladesaus offers the Auslese sufficient sweetness and freshness to the dessert to begeleiden.
- Mosel Riesling Auslese (Dr. Loosen, Selbach-Oster, J.J. Prüm)
- Rheingau Riesling Auslese (Robert Weil, Schloss Johannisberg)
- Pfalz Riesling Spätlese (Müller-Catoir, Dr. Bürklin-Wolf)
- Nahe Riesling Spätlese (Schlossgut Diel)
Wine advice is for culinary information purposes only. Wines and appellations are exemplary; availability varies by region and supplier.
Frequently asked questions about Pear
How do I prevent cut pear from browning?
Rub with lemon juice or immerse in lightly salted water immediately after cutting. Enzymatic browning begins within 5 minutes of exposure to air.
What is the difference between a dessert pear and a braising pear?
Dessert pears (Conference, Comice) are soft and sweet, suited to raw use and brief poaching. Braising pears (Gieser Wildeman, Saint-Rémy) are compact and firm, becoming tender only after 30–90 minutes of slow cooking.
Why do braising pears turn red when cooked?
Tannins in braising pears react with anthocyanins in red wine and acid (vinegar) under heat. This gives the characteristic Bordeaux-red colour. White wine or water produces a golden-yellow colour.
At what temperature should you store Pear?
Store Pear at 0 tot 4 °C ripe, 12 tot 15 °C unripe, compliant with EU Regulation 852/2004 and Codex Alimentarius guidelines.
How do you prepare Pear professionally?
The primary professional technique for Pear is Poaching (red wine) at 85 tot 90 °C for 20 tot 45 min afhankelijk van rijpheid. Always verify core temperature with a calibrated probe thermometer.
Does Pear contain allergens?
Pear is free from all 14 EU declarable allergens under EU Regulation 1169/2011 Annex II. Always verify with your supplier for processed variants.
Alternatives for Pear
Professional substitutes for pear in hospitality: culinary alternatives, allergen-free options and seasonal replacements. Including HACCP storage conditions per alternative.
Steviger of structure, less sweet. Budget-alternatief in taarten and chutney.
Asian pear: knapperiger and sappiger. refined for kaasplankjes and salad.
Hogere pectin, ideal for gelei and pasta. must always cooked are.
Legal disclaimer: For informational purposes only
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Informational character
The information on this page has been compiled exclusively as reference material for professional kitchen staff. KitchenNmbrs does not provide legal, medical or commercial advice. Data on preparation techniques, storage temperatures, HACCP guidelines and allergens is based on publicly available professional sources and applies to the raw ingredient in its unmodified state.
Your responsibility as operator (FBO)
Under EU Regulation 1169/2011 (Food Information Regulation) and EU Regulation 852/2004 (HACCP Hygiene Regulation), the Food Business Operator (FBO) is solely and exclusively responsible for:
- Providing accurate, up-to-date and complete allergen information to the end consumer;
- Determining allergens in the finished product based on current supplier documentation;
- Maintaining and documenting a demonstrable HACCP management system;
- Controlling cross-contamination risks within their own production environment;
- Compliance with local food safety authority requirements.
Allergen information: Limitations
The allergen information on this page relates to the ingredient as such. The actual allergen composition of your purchase may differ due to:
- Varying suppliers, production facilities or growing regions;
- Cross-contact during production, transport or storage ("may contain");
- Changed product formulations not yet reflected in public sources;
- Processing or preparation in your own kitchen that introduces new allergens.
Always verify allergens against the current specification sheets (spec sheets) from your supplier. Orally or informally provided allergen information is not legally valid under EU Reg. 1169/2011.
Milk allergen and lactose intolerance
The EU-14 allergen "Milk (including lactose)" covers two distinct conditions, both of which require declaration: (1) cow's milk allergy, an immunological reaction to milk proteins (casein, whey), and (2) lactose intolerance, an enzymatic deficiency (lactase) preventing digestion of milk sugar. Both groups must be informed separately on the menu. Lactose-free is not the same as milk-protein-free: a guest with cow's milk allergy may still react to lactose-free products.
Limitation of liability
KitchenNmbrs B.V. excludes all liability for direct or indirect damages arising from:
- Use of the information on this page as the basis for commercial or operational decisions;
- Allergic reactions, food poisoning or other health incidents involving guests or staff;
- Inaccuracies resulting from changed product compositions by third parties (suppliers);
- Non-compliance with food safety laws and regulations.
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Official sources and authorities
Legal basis: EU Reg. 1169/2011 Annex II (EU-14 allergens) · EU Reg. 852/2004 (HACCP) · Local food information legislation as applicable
