Dehydrated Pears

Dehydrated pears

Sweet, delicious and rich aromatic pears offer apple crunchiness but juicy like peach and nectarine. They are very popular, particularly throughout the Northern Hemisphere, for their unique nutritional qualities.

Botanically, pears are a "pome fruit" produced in the rosaceae tree family, in the genus Pyrus. Fruit plants are medium-sized trees that are found in semi-tropical regions around the Northern Hemisphere and bear medium-sized fruits that typically have several small seeds in the center enclosed in a robust capsule Members of the fruits of the pear family include apple, medlar, quince, medlar, etc.

Pears are generally classified according to their place of origin as Asian pears and European pears. Asian varieties have a crunchy texture and solid texture that does not change even after harvesting or storage, making them ready for consumption.

In the structure, the pear has a bell or "piriform" shape; about 5-6 inches in length and with a weight of about 200 g. Externally, its skin is very thin; and depending on the type of cultivars, it can be green, red-orange or yellow-orange in color. Inside, the off-white pulp is soft and juicy. However, in the case of fully ripe fruits, its flesh can take on a grainy texture with a gritty feeling while cutting with a knife. The center of the fruit is more or less similar to an apple in appearance with small inedible seeds centrally located.

Dried pear slices are a great snack at school or work. Fresh pears have a short shelf life, and dried pear slices are good alternatives to help you assimilate enough fruit every day. Compared to fresh fruit, dehydrated fruit loses water and concentrates fiber, sugars and minerals, thus becoming a nutritious, satiating and not excessively caloric snack.

Pears: Properties and Benefits

The fruit of pears is rich in beneficial nutrients for health such as dietary fiber, antioxidants, minerals and vitamins, necessary for optimal health. The total measured antioxidant strength (ORAC value) in pears is 2941 μmol TE / 100 g.

Pears are a good source of dietary fiber. Eating this fruit regularly may offer protection against colon cancer. Most of the fiber in them present is a non-soluble polysaccharide (NSP), which works as a good mass laxative in the intestine. In addition, its granular fiber content binds to carcinogenic toxins and chemicals in the colon, protecting its mucous membrane from contact with these compounds. 

In addition, the fruit of the pear is one of the fruits with very low calorie content; provides only 58 calories per 100g.

A low-calorie, high-fiber diet can help significantly reduce body weight and LDL cholesterol levels in the blood. They contain good amounts of vitamin C. Fresh fruit provides about 7% of RDA per 100 g of this vitamin.

They are a modest source of phytonutrient flavonoid antioxidants such as β-carotene, lutein and zeaxanthin. These compounds, along with vitamin C and A, help the body protect itself from harmful free radicals.

The fruit is a good source of minerals such as copper, iron, potassium, manganese and magnesium, as well as B-complex vitamins such as folate, riboflavin and pyridoxine (vitamin B-6).

Although not well documented, pears are among the least allergenic of all fruits. For the same reason, they are often recommended by healthcare professionals as a safe alternative in the preparation of food products in allergy sufferers. Pears have been suggested in various traditional medicines in the treatment of colitis, chronic gallbladder disorders, arthritis and gout.