A Partridge in a Pear Tree (with a Cocktail)
December 21, 2015‘Tis the Pear Season for Nutrition
As a member of the rose family of plants, they are also related to apples, apricots and plums! Found in green, red, yellow and gold, pears come in several types during the winter months and there are over 3,000 varieties. Pears are typically grown in Europe, but Washington, California and Oregon are the largest US producers today. Did you know speckles on their skin can reflect a better flavor? Who knew! Be careful where you store them as they absorb odors from other foods very easily.
Pears pack about 6 grams of fiber per fruit (24% of your minimum daily requirement) and are good sources of Copper, vitamin C and vitamin K all for about 100 calories! They also contain 190 mg of potassium, which is crucial for blood pressure regulation. Like most other fruits, they are also sodium free, fat free and cholesterol free. With most of the nutrients in the skin, they include antioxidants, anti-inflammatory chemicals and anti-cancer compounds. One study even found that pear consumption helped improve insulin sensitivity (a hormone that controls blood sugar to prevent Diabetes).
Try including them diced up in your holiday drinks, like our featured Pear Rosemary cocktail this December. They’re also great roasted on salads or in crumble desserts topped with Ice Cream. They can also easily act as your snacks on-the-go!
Pear Rosemary Cocktail
4 pears
16 fl Oz. Vodka
1/4 cup sugar (we could eliminate or just do agave or some other sweetener?)
12 sprigs Rosemary
1.5 cups Pear Nectar
4 cups Carbonated Water
Makes 16 servings
110 Calories, 12g carbs, 10g sugar, Vitamin C (3.2%), 55mg Potassium (yay!)
