Even though they are relatively low in calories, pears contain many trace elements and vitamins. Pears are consumed either fresh, preserved, as a juice, or dried. Since they ripen at room temperature, they should be stored in cooler places to slow down the ripening process.
General information:
From Wikipedia: “The pear is any of several tree and shrub species of genus Pyrus, in the family Rosaceae.It is also the name of the pomaceous fruit of the trees. Several species of pear are valued for their edible fruit, while others are cultivated as ornamental trees. ...
The pear is native to coastal and mildly temperate regions of the Old World, from western Europe and north Africa east right across Asia. It is a medium-sized tree, reaching 10–17 meters (33–56 ft) tall, often with a tall, narrow crown; a few species are shrubby.”
Nutritional information:
Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz): calories 57 kcal, fat 0.14 g, carbohydrates 15.23 , of which 9.75 g come from sugar, dietary fiber 3.1 g, and protein 0.36 g.
Culinary uses and ripeness:
“Pears are consumed fresh, canned, as juice, and dried. The juice can also be used in jellies and jams, usually in combination with other fruits, including berries. Fermented pear juice is called perry or pear cider and is made in a way that is similar to how cider is made from apples.
Pear Bureau Northwest offers tips on ripening and judging ripeness: Although the skin on Bartlett pears changes from green to yellow as they ripen, most varieties show little color change as they ripen. Because pears ripen from the inside out, the best way to judge ripeness is to "Check the Neck": apply gentle thumb pressure to the neck or stem end of the pear. If it yields to gentle pressure, then the pear is ripe, sweet, and juicy. If it is firm, leave the pear at room temperature and check the neck daily for ripeness.”
Cultivation:
“According to Pear Bureau Northwest, about 3000 known varieties of pears are grown worldwide. The pear is normally propagated by grafting a selected variety onto a rootstock, which may be of a pear variety or quince. Quince rootstocks produce smaller trees, which is often desirable in commercial orchards or domestic gardens. For new varieties the flowers can be cross-bred to preserve or combine desirable traits. The fruit of the pear is produced on spurs, which appear on shoots more than one year old.
Three species account for the vast majority of edible fruit production, the European pear Pyrus communis subsp. communis cultivated mainly in Europe and North America, the Chinese white pear (bai li) Pyrus ×bretschneideri, and the Nashi pear Pyrus pyrifolia (also known as Asian pear or apple pear), both grown mainly in eastern Asia.”
Harvest:
“Summer and autumn cultivars of Pyrus communis, being climacteric fruits, are gathered before they are fully ripe, while they are still green, but snap off when lifted. ...”
Storage:
“Pears may be stored at room temperature until ripe. Pears are ripe when the flesh around the stem gives to gentle pressure. Ripe pears are optimally stored refrigerated, uncovered in a single layer, where they have a shelf life of 2 to 3 days.”
Interesting facts:
“The word “pear” is probably from Germanic pera as a loanword of Vulgar Latin pira, the plural of pirum, akin to Greek apios (from Mycenaean ápisos), of Semitic origin ("pirâ"), meaning "fruit". The term "pyriform" is used to describe something pear-shaped.”
“Pear wood is one of the preferred materials in the manufacture of high-quality woodwind instruments and furniture, and was used for making the carved blocks for woodcuts. It is also used for wood carving, and as a firewood to produce aromatic smoke for smoking meat or tobacco. ... Pear wood is the favored wood for architect's rulers because it does not warp. It is similar to the wood of its relative, the apple tree (Malus domestica) and used for many of the same purposes.”
Nutrient tables
The complete nutritional information, coverage of the daily requirement and comparison values with other ingredients can be found in the following nutrient tables.
Nutritional Information
|
per 100g |
2000 kcal The numbers show the percent of the recommended daily value for a person who consumes 2000 cal per day. This number is for one serving of the recipe. A person normally eats multiple times a day and consumes additional nutrients. You can get all of the nutrients you need over a longer period of time and in this way ensure a healthy balance. |
---|---|---|
Energy | 57 kcal 238 kJ | 2.8% Recommended daily allowance according to the GDA: 2000kcal |
Fat/Lipids | 0.14 g | 0.2% Recommended daily allowance according to the GDA: 70g |
Saturated Fats | 0.02 g | 0.1% Recommended daily allowance according to the GDA: 20g |
Carbohydrates (inc.dietary fiber) | 15 g | 5.6% Recommended daily allowance according to the GDA: 270g |
Sugars | 9.8 g | 10.8% Recommended daily allowance according to the GDA: 90g |
Fiber | 3.1 g | 12.4% Recommended daily allowance according to the GDA: 25g |
Protein/Albumin | 0.36 g | 0.7% Recommended daily allowance according to the GDA: 50g |
Cooking Salt (Na:1.0 mg) | 2.5 mg | 0.1% Recommended daily allowance according to the GDA: 2.4g |
Essential micronutrients with the highest proportions | per 100g | 2000 kcal | |
---|---|---|---|
Min | Copper, Cu | 0.08 mg | 8.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 1.0 mg |
Vit | Vitamin K | 4.4 µg | 6.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 75 µg |
Elem | Potassium, K | 116 mg | 6.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 2'000 mg |
Vit | Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) | 4.3 mg | 5.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 80 mg |
Vit | Folate, as the active form of folic acid (née vitamin B9 and | 7.0 µg | 4.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 200 µg |
Elem | Magnesium, Mg | 7.0 mg | 2.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 375 mg |
Elem | Phosphorus, P | 12 mg | 2.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 700 mg |
Vit | Riboflavin (vitamin B2) | 0.03 mg | 2.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 1.4 mg |
Vit | Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) | 0.03 mg | 2.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 1.4 mg |
Min | Manganese, Mn | 0.05 mg | 2.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 2.0 mg |
Detailed micronutrients and daily requirement coverage per 100g
Explanations of nutrient tables in general
The majority of the nutritional information comes from the USDA (US Department of Agriculture). This means that the information for natural products is often incomplete or only given within broader categories, whereas in most cases products made from these have more complete information displayed.
If we take flaxseed, for example, the important essential amino acid ALA (omega-3) is only included in an overarching category whereas for flaxseed oil ALA is listed specifically. In time, we will be able to change this, but it will require a lot of work. An “i” appears behind ingredients that have been adjusted and an explanation appears when you hover over this symbol.
For Erb Muesli, the original calculations resulted in 48 % of the daily requirement of ALA — but with the correction, we see that the muesli actually covers >100 % of the necessary recommendation for the omega-3 fatty acid ALA. Our goal is to eventually be able to compare the nutritional value of our recipes with those that are used in conventional western lifestyles.
Essential fatty acids | per 100g |
2000 kcal The numbers show the percent of the recommended daily value for a person who consumes 2000 cal per day. This number is for one serving of the recipe. A person normally eats multiple times a day and consumes additional nutrients. You can get all of the nutrients you need over a longer period of time and in this way ensure a healthy balance. |
---|---|---|
Linoleic acid; LA; 18:2 omega-6 | 0.09 g | 1.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the CH-EDI-Verordnung: 10 g |
Alpha-Linolenic acid; ALA; 18:3 omega-3 | 0.00 g | < 0.1% Recommended daily allowance according to the CH-EDI-Verordnung: 2.0 g |
Essential amino acids | per 100g |
2000 kcal The numbers show the percent of the recommended daily value for a person who consumes 2000 cal per day. This number is for one serving of the recipe. A person normally eats multiple times a day and consumes additional nutrients. You can get all of the nutrients you need over a longer period of time and in this way ensure a healthy balance. |
---|---|---|
Tryptophan (Trp, W) | 0.00 g | 1.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the WHO-Protein-2002: 0.25 g |
Threonine (Thr, T) | 0.01 g | 1.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the WHO-Protein-2002: 0.93 g |
Isoleucine (Ile, I) | 0.01 g | 1.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the WHO-Protein-2002: 1.2 g |
Leucine (Leu, L) | 0.02 g | 1.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the WHO-Protein-2002: 2.4 g |
Lysine (Lys, K) | 0.02 g | 1.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the WHO-Protein-2002: 1.9 g |
Phenylalanine (Phe, F) | 0.01 g | 1.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the WHO-Protein-2002: 1.6 g |
Valine (Val, V) | 0.02 g | 1.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the WHO-Protein-2002: 1.6 g |
Methionine (Met, M) | 0.00 g | < 0.1% Recommended daily allowance according to the WHO-Protein-2002: 0.93 g |
Vitamins | per 100g |
2000 kcal The numbers show the percent of the recommended daily value for a person who consumes 2000 cal per day. This number is for one serving of the recipe. A person normally eats multiple times a day and consumes additional nutrients. You can get all of the nutrients you need over a longer period of time and in this way ensure a healthy balance. |
---|---|---|
Vitamin K | 4.4 µg | 6.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 75 µg |
Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) | 4.3 mg | 5.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 80 mg |
Folate, as the active form of folic acid (née vitamin B9 and | 7.0 µg | 4.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 200 µg |
Riboflavin (vitamin B2) | 0.03 mg | 2.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 1.4 mg |
Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) | 0.03 mg | 2.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 1.4 mg |
Thiamine (vitamin B1) | 0.01 mg | 1.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 1.1 mg |
Niacin (née vitamin B3) | 0.16 mg | 1.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 16 mg |
Pantothenic acid (vitamin B5) | 0.05 mg | 1.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 6.0 mg |
Vitamin E, as a-TEs | 0.12 mg | 1.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 12 mg |
Vitamin A, as RAE | 1.0 µg | < 0.1% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 800 µg |
Vitamin D | 0 µg | < 0.1% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 5.0 µg |
Essential macroelements (macronutrients) | per 100g |
2000 kcal The numbers show the percent of the recommended daily value for a person who consumes 2000 cal per day. This number is for one serving of the recipe. A person normally eats multiple times a day and consumes additional nutrients. You can get all of the nutrients you need over a longer period of time and in this way ensure a healthy balance. |
---|---|---|
Potassium, K | 116 mg | 6.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 2'000 mg |
Magnesium, Mg | 7.0 mg | 2.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 375 mg |
Phosphorus, P | 12 mg | 2.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 700 mg |
Calcium, Ca | 9.0 mg | 1.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 800 mg |
Sodium, Na | 1.0 mg | < 0.1% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 800 mg |
Essential trace elements (micronutrients) | per 100g |
2000 kcal The numbers show the percent of the recommended daily value for a person who consumes 2000 cal per day. This number is for one serving of the recipe. A person normally eats multiple times a day and consumes additional nutrients. You can get all of the nutrients you need over a longer period of time and in this way ensure a healthy balance. |
---|---|---|
Copper, Cu | 0.08 mg | 8.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 1.0 mg |
Manganese, Mn | 0.05 mg | 2.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 2.0 mg |
Iron, Fe | 0.18 mg | 1.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 14 mg |
Zinc, Zn | 0.10 mg | 1.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 10 mg |
Fluorine, F | 2.2 µg | < 0.1% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 3'500 µg |
Selenium, Se | 0.10 µg | < 0.1% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 55 µg |
- Natalie Sidler, Dr. phil. I
- Sarah Layendecker, BSc Wildlife Management, vor MSc
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