Edible Seasonals - The Pear
OREGON'S STATE FRUIT—THE PEAR
Written by Ellen Jackson
October-December 2006
I’ve lived in Oregon for 12 years, and I just learned that the pear is our state fruit. Actually, I didn’t know states had fruits; I’d have guessed it was the marionberry. It makes sense, though; pears are Oregon’s #1 fruit crop and we rank #3 in the nation’s total production. Washington leads the nation in pear production, providing close to 46% of the total. Together, the states grow 84% of the nation’s pears.
So why are pears upstaged by apples? Do they get short shrift because the apple enjoys all-American status and long-standing popularity—in pies and lunchboxes, for target practice and kissing up to the teacher—or because the two fruits ripen and hit the market at the same time? They’re often mentioned in the same breath, as if their relationship is like French fries and ketchup. Both are pome fruits, true, but lumping apples and pears together is like, well, like comparing apples and oranges. A pear can do anything an apple can do, and sometimes do it better.