D'Anjou Pears Delivery or Pickup

D'Anjou Pears, also known as Anjou pears for short, is a European pear brought to the U.S. in the mid-19th century by Colonel Marshall P. Wilder. He planted the pear variety in his garden in Boston and the rest, as they say, is history. Today, the Anjou pear is one of the most popular varieties in the U.S. Consumers love the pears for their refreshingly sweet taste that includes hints of citrus, while chefs praise them for their versatility and long shelf life.

The D'Anjou pear is regarded as a medium to large pear. With its wide base that gradually tapers to a rounded, short neck, the pear has an egg-like shape. There are two cultivars of the Anjou pear: the Green Anjou and the Red Anjou pear. The Green Anjou pear is the original version of the pear. It has light green skin that, unlike most other green pears, doesn't change  color when it ripens. 

As its name suggests, the Red Anjou pear is red. Apart from the color difference, however, the Red Anjou is precisely the same as the Green Anjou. This is because the Red Anjou pear is a bud sport that naturally started to grow on Green Anjou trees. A bud sport is a part of a plant that develops differently from the rest of the plant. They may exhibit different foliage, fruit, or colors, and it is the latter morphological change that occurred in the Red Anjou pear. When people refer to Anjou pears, though, they typically have the Green Anjou in mind.

Anjou pears are in season from October to July. During summer, you'll see plenty of Anjou pears, as it's one of the most widely available pear varieties at that time of year. Since the Green Anjou pear doesn't change color when it ripens, it can be a bit tricky to tell when it's ripe. The most effective way is to lightly press the top of the pear in the area that directly surrounds the stem. If it gives a little, the pear is ripe. 

The top is the best place to do this test because the Anjou pear ripens from the inside out, and as this section of the pear is the thinnest, it's closest to the core. If the bottom half of the Anjou pear is soft to the touch, the inside will be overripe. Although you don't want to eat them raw at this stage, don't throw your overripe Anjou pears away. Use them to make pear sauce, pear smoothies, or pear crumble.

Pears meant for the commercial market are typically harvested before they're ripe. This means that the Anjou pears you'll buy in the store usually will still be unripe. Since pears ripen at room temperature, you can leave them out in a fruit basket for about five days. Once they're ripe, you can either eat them immediately or place them in the fridge. This will give you a few more days before the fruit becomes too ripe.