When are Pears in Season

Pears are often found year-round in the grocery stores, but their peak season is late summer through fall. During fall, pears are the most flavorful and plentiful. Once you know when pears are in season, then you just need to familiarize yourself with the most common pear varieties.

Pears are all delicious, in my opinion, but each has its own purpose. The best pears to eat raw are Anjou, Bartlett, Comice, and Asian pears. Most of these pears, however, are not great for baking and cooking as they often lose their taste and shape. Anjou and Bosc are the best for baking as they maintain their taste and shape.

Growing up in Northern California, we took annual road trips in the fall to Southern Oregon for pears. Harry & David is headquartered there and you can get a lot of pears there and in the area. We usually bought a lug (a bulk box) of Bartlett pears. They are delicious sliced and my mom always uses them in her homemade pear chutney.

I love pear desserts, but I find many of them lose the pear flavor during baking. The pear flavor is so light and delicate, it can be easily overshadowed with other flavors. But I’ll try each and every one I see on a dessert menu!

When are Pears in Season

Pears are harvested late summer through fall (roughly August to October) in North America. Pears can be stored to last into winter and even spring, making pear season longer, but a lot of that depends on variety, region, and harvest.

Pear Varieties and Their Seasons

There is quite a selection of pear varieties and it’s helpful to know what each tastes like, its expected texture, and its typical season.

Anjou Pears

Anjou pears are juicy with a firm texture. They’re not too sweet and they’re good for cooking.

Anjou pears are wide, plump, and have a round bottom that tapers slightly. They come in green and red varieties. Anjou pears come into season in late September and can last into winter.

Bartlett Pears

Bartlett pears are juicy and great for eating raw. They start green and turn yellow. Their taste and shape are easily lost when cooked.

Bartlett pears have a wide, plump, and round bottom that tapers up into the neck. They’re harvested on the early end of pear season—usually mid-August into September.

Bosc Pears

Bosc pears are crunchy and ideal for baking as they hold their shape very well.

Bosc pears have a long, tapering neck that gradually widens into a full, rounded bottom. Harvesting Bosc pears begins in mid-September.

Comice Pears

Comice pears are juicy, sweet, and buttery, so they’re great for eating raw. They’re yellow with a red ‘kiss.’ Their taste and shape is easily lost when cooked.

Comice pears are wide, plump, and have a round bottom that tapers less than traditional pear varieties like Bartletts. Comice pears come into season in late September and can last into winter.

Asian Pears

Asian pears are sweet, juicy, and crunchy. Also called butterscotch pears, they’re very flavorful. They’re best for eating raw.

Asian pears are round in shape—more like an apple. Asian pears are harvested later in the season—usually late summer through December.

How to Tell When Pears are Ready to Eat

Pears continue to ripen after they’re harvested, so they’re often harvested before they’re fully ripe and ready to eat. This is why pear season can last as long as it does, which is great news for us!

The most important thing to remember for when a pear is ready to eat is what variety of pear it is. Bosc and Asian pears are naturally firm and crunchy, even when ripe. Other pear varieties should be softer when ripe. You can gently press on the neck of the pear to find out if it’s ripe and ready to eat.

How to Ripen Pears

If you want to ripen a pear at home, leave it out at room temperature. To make it ripen a bit faster, put it into a paper bag on the counter. Be sure to check your pears daily in the bag as they can ripen very quickly.

Want to eat more seasonally?

Get my free Seasonal Produce Guide with an easy reference for what’s in season throughout the year. It’s a simple way to know what to look for at the grocery store or farmers market without having to remember it all.

What to Make with Fresh Pears

Arugula Pear Salad

Made with a maple black peppercorn salad dressing, this arugula pear salad might just be the most beautiful salad you’ve seen. A perfect starter, this salad can be made with any variety of pear, but the red Anjou pear is what really brings this salad to life visually. It’s finished with toasted pecans and crumbled Parmesan cheese.

Pear Muffins

Homemade pear muffins are the perfect fall morsel. Made with cardamom and ground ginger, they’re slightly spiced and just oh so good. This recipe calls for Bosc or Anjou pears.

Brunch Cocktail

This brunch cocktail is a spin on your standard mimosa. Combining Chardonnay wine with orange juice and fresh sliced fruit, including pears, this is the drink recipe you didn’t know you were missing. Anjou and not too ripe Bartlett pears are best.

Pear and Apple Crisp

Fall fruit crisp is my all-time favorite dessert. This apple and pear crisp with oat topping is just the ticket. This recipe is best with Bosc or Anjou pears.

Bulgur Salad with Pears

A delicious whole grain fall recipe, this warm bulgur salad combines fresh pears, dried cranberries, and fresh rosemary for a warm and delectable dish. This recipe calls for Anjou pears.

Fruit & Charcuterie Boards

Fruit platters and charcuterie boards are a fabulous place to include pears. They slice easily and do well on boards. I love putting them on just a simple last minute fruit board, in my seasonal fall charcuterie board, and then on a winter fruit platter during the holiday season. Bartlett, Comice, and Asian pears are best on these boards.

Pear season is one of my favorite parts of fall. With so many varieties available, there’s a pear for just about everything—from eating fresh to baking, cooking, and adding to a beautiful fall board. Once you know which varieties you like and how to tell when they’re ripe, it’s easy to make the most of pear season.

Love eating with the seasons? Grab my free Seasonal Produce Guide to make seasonal grocery shopping a little easier.