ADA Conference: Perfect Pears

The Pear Bureau was present at the ADA's Food and Nutrition Conference and Expo last weekend, and I finally learned how to store my favorite fruit.

Pears at the supermarket -- or green market -- are not fully ripened, and whenver I bought a few, I would constantly make the mistake of immediately storing them in my fridge as soon as I got home.

I was halting the ripening process!

Here's how to perfectly ripen a pear. Store it in a brown paper bag for three days. At the end of the third day, lightly press into the top of the fruit. If it gives in -- not sinks -- to pressure, it's ripened.

At this point, you can store it in the fridge until you are ready to eat it. If kept out at room temperature any longer, it will spoil.

At a mere 96 calories a pop, pears provide 5 grams of fiber and 12% of our vitamin C needs!