Boscs bottled pears, raw, organic?

Boscs bottle pears belong to the pome fruit family. Along with apples, pears are one of the most popular types of fruit in Europe, especially in organic quality. The fruit is rich in health-promoting substances and can be eaten raw, dried, cooked or preserved.

Use in the kitchen

Boscs pears have a rough, greenish-yellow skin with a yellow-brown "russeting". The juicy flesh is whitish-yellow and tastes very sweet and is soft. Raw Boscs bottle pears are ideal for eating straight away (table pears). With a height of 9 to 11 cm and a diameter of 5 to 7 cm, they are medium to large pear varieties.

Pears can be used in many different raw food dishes: in fruit salad, as a topping for muesli (e.g. in pea muesli as a substitute for apple), as a fruity addition to smoothies with spinach or in home-made juices. Cooked pears or pear puree refine porridge, vegan rice pudding and semolina pudding, among other things. Pears also taste particularly good in combination with cinnamon or cardamom ; you can make them into a chutney with these spices or bake them (with walnuts) and serve them as a dessert. Other tasty dessert options with pears are a baked crumble with oatmeal or cake. Dried pears can also be found in bread and pastries.

Raw salads give sweet pears a special touch. They go well with sweet salads such as Batavia lettuce andlettuce, but also taste delicious with slightly bitter or spicy salads such as chicory and rocket. A balsamic-Dijon dressing goes well with them.

Vegan recipe for pear and banana ice cream

Ingredients (for 4 people): 1 banana, 1-2 Boscs bottled pears, 3 tbsp macadamia nuts, 100 ml oat drink, 2 pinches ofvanilla powder.

Preparation: Peel the bananas and cut into slices. Peel the pears and cut into pieces. Freeze the bananas and pears. Put the frozen bananas and pears, macadamia nuts, oat milk and vanilla powder in a container and quickly mix with a high-performance blender to form a creamy ice cream mixture. Serve the raw ice cream in small bowls and eat immediately.

Vegan recipes with Boscs bottle pears (raw) can be found under the note: " Recipes that have the most of this ingredient ".

Purchasing - Storage

The harvest time for most pear varieties cultivated in Europe is in autumn. The season for Boscs bottle pears is from mid-September to October. ³

Where can you buy Boscs bottle pears? Boscs are a popular type of pear in the DA-CH region and are available from major retailers such as Coop, Billa, Migros, Denner, Volg, Spar, Aldi, Lidl, Rewe, Edeka and Hofer. Alnatura and Denn's Biomarkt stock them in organic quality. Seasonally, you can also buy the bottle pear on farms or at weekly markets.

When buying fresh pears, make sure the peel is intact and has no bruises or holes.

The availability of Bosc's bottle pears varies depending on the size of the store, catchment area, etc. Our recorded food prices for the DA-CH countries can be found above under the ingredient image - and by clicking on them you can see their development at various suppliers.

Storage tips

Pears are primarily produced for direct consumption, as they are difficult to store. ² Compared to apples, which can be stored for up to a year, pears spoil more quickly and only selected varieties last more than a few months. They should be stored in a cool, dark place without touching each other. ⁷

Since pears are climacteric fruits, they continue to ripen after harvest. Pears ripen from the inside out. This means that when the skin ripens, they can often be overripe and mealy on the inside. Alternatively, pears can also be frozen. To do this, wash, cut and core the fruit and then store it in a freezer bag at -18°C for up to 10 months.

Ingredients - Nutritional values - Calories

Raw Boscs bottle pears (organic?) consist of up to 83% water, the energy content is 67 kcal per 100 g. Proteins and fats are poorly represented among the nutrients, the main component of energy comes from carbohydrates (16 g/100g), of which 10 g is sugar. The proportion offiber is 3.1 g per 100 g. ¹

Vitamin K is present in bottled pears at 5.2 µg/100g (approx. 7% of the daily requirement), which is comparable to cranberries. In the case of kale, just 10 g (705 µg/100g) almost cover the daily requirement of the vitamin.

Boscs are a good source of potassium, an important element for the body's water balance, with 122 mg/100g. Fruits with similar levels of this essential element are apple (Granny Smith) and sea buckthorn berries. Foods that have a much higher potassium content are dried tomatoes (3427 mg), dried porcini mushrooms (2000 mg) and soybeans (1797 mg/100g). ¹

The bottled pears contain 7 µg of folate (folic acid) per 100 g, similar to rhubarb or cucumbers. In addition to pulses, dried herbs (eg dried wild garlic 551 µg/100g) are also good sources of folic acid.

The complete ingredients of Bosc's bottle pear (raw), the coverage of the daily requirement and comparison values with other ingredients can be found in our nutrient tables. In the article Nutrients explained you will get a detailed insight into the topic.

Effects on health

Fruits are part of a healthy diet due to their concentration of vitamins, minerals, secondary plant substances and fiber. However, there are only a few clinical studies to date on the health value of the cultivated pear ( Pyrus communis), which also includes the Boscs bottle pear. Epidemiological studies rarely distinguish between apples and pears because they are botanically related and have similar nutrient profiles, so there is little data here either. ¹³

Most of the important ingredients are found in the pear's skin. That's why you should prefer organic pears, which can be safely eaten with the skin after washing. ^13,15

Secondary plant substances

Many of the health effects of Bosc's bottle pear can be attributed to the secondary plant substances it contains. Our article on secondary plant substances provides an overview of the classification of substance groups, their occurrence in foods and possible effects on humans.

Pears contain secondary plant substances whose antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects can reduce the risk of cancer or cardiovascular disease. Even if we do not have any concrete data for the Boscs variety, it is clear that the content of secondary plant substances can vary depending on the pear variety. In addition to polyphenols (arbutin, catechin ^13,16), the pear varieties examined also contained phenolic acids (chlorogenic acid), triterpenes (oleanolic acid, ursolic acid) and flavonoids (epicatechin, rutin, quercetin ¹⁶). ¹⁵

The bioactive compounds contained in pears have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and inhibit the growth of tumor tissue. It can therefore be assumed that regular consumption of fruits and vegetables rich in antioxidants reduces the risk of developing chronic diseases. ¹⁴

Studies also show that organically grown pears have a higher content of polyphenols and alpha-tocopherol than conventionally grown pears. When grown organically without pesticides, the plant has to protect itself, which is why the antioxidant defense system improves and the proportion of secondary plant substances increases. ¹⁷

Dangers - Intolerances - Side effects

Eating pears can cause allergic reactions. In northern Europe, this usually affects people who also have allergic reactions to birch pollen. Local symptoms such as a scratchy mouth and throat occur 5-15 minutes after consumption. The allergen involved can be rendered ineffective by cooking beforehand. In Mediterranean countries, however, an allergic reaction to pears occurs as a cross allergy to peaches. The possible symptoms are far more serious in this form, with stomach pain, vomiting or life-threatening conditions. ⁸

There are also often reactions to apples, apricots, cherries, melons, bananas, hazelnuts, celeriac or carrots. Allergic people can tolerate cooked pears, however, because the allergen cannot withstand high temperatures. ⁸

Pears are rich in fructose and sorbitol, which is why eating large amounts can cause diarrhea. ¹³

Folk Medicine - Natural Medicine

In China, pears are used in traditional folk medicine due to their anti-inflammatory, anti-hyperglycemic and diuretic properties. Other traditional uses of pears include use as a cure for alcohol hangovers, to relieve coughs and constipation. ¹³

Ecological footprint - animal welfare

When studying the ecological balance, no distinction is often made between the individual pear varieties.

The CO ₂ footprint of regional pears is 0.3 kg CO ₂ eq/kg, similar to that of regional apples or grapes. ¹⁰ Imported pears from other continents, on the other hand, do rather poorly in the assessment of the climate impact due to the high amount of CO ₂ during transport by ship. ¹¹ The amount of water required to produce 1 kg of pears is 922 liters. ¹²

In conventional agriculture, synthetic pesticides and herbicides are often used to combat pests. However, the impact of these agents is not limited to individual plants; they also have a negative effect on their surroundings. In addition, they can sometimes be found in the end product; high levels of residues of various pesticides have been found, particularly in fruit. To avoid pesticides in food, it is better to use organically grown fruit and vegetables, as the use of synthetic pesticides is prohibited here.

For detailed explanations of various sustainability indicators (such as ecological footprint, _CO2 footprint, water footprint), see our article: What does the ecological footprint mean?

Animal protection - species protection

During the flowering period, the pear tree is dependent on insects such as wild bees or honey bees for pollination, as its flowers are self-sterile. However, pear blossoms are not as attractive as apple or apricot blossoms due to both the low amount of nectar and the chemical composition of the pollen. ⁴

However, there are differences between the individual pear species, which can play a major role in the selection of species for plantations. A study in China showed that both the Asian honey bee ( Apis cerana) and the European honey bee ( Apis mellifera) visited the flowers of the European cultivated pear ( Pyrus communis) more frequently to search for food than the Chinese white pear ( P. bretschneideri). When growing pears, one should avoid planting 'exotic pear varieties' (especially in Europe), as the cultivated pear ( P. communis) is a better source of food for bees. ⁴

Worldwide occurrence - cultivation

The exact origin of the Boscs variety ( Pyrus communis Boscs bottle pear) is thought to be in Belgium or France at the end of the 18th or beginning of the 19th century. The name probably goes back to the naturalist Louis Augustin Guillaume Bosc.

The origin or gene center of the current pear genus ( Pyrus) is not clearly established. In addition to China, it could also be in the region of Asia Minor and the Middle East. Of the 23 catalogued wild pear species, all are native to Europe, the temperate zones of Asia and North Africa. ⁵

The pear was cultivated in China, as well as in Asia Minor, the Middle East, the Caucasus and Central Asia. ⁵

Worldwide, the pear is the third most important fruit variety in the temperate climate zone after grapes and apples. ² According to FAOSTAT, 26.32 million tons of pears were produced worldwide in 2022. The main producing countries are China (19.26 million tons), the USA (584,230 tons) and Argentina (566,227 tons). ⁹

Growing in your own garden - harvest

Like other varieties of cultivated pears ( Pyrus communis), the Boscs pear needs deep, well-drained and nutrient-rich soil. When choosing a location, you should also make sure that the tree is as sheltered as possible, but still receives plenty of direct sunlight. Ideally, the young tree should be planted in late autumn (October/November), so that it has enough time for roots to grow over the winter. To plant it, first dig a sufficiently large planting hole and partially fill it with fresh and compost soil. After planting the pear tree, it is advisable to also attach a support post to which the young tree can be tied. Water the freshly planted tree well and, if necessary, protect it from other plants with a coconut mat. During the first few years, you can support the tree's growth by adding additional water. ⁶

When is the harvest time for Bosc's bottle pears? The bottle pear can be picked from mid-September, although it is not ready to eat until October. The fruit should be harvested while still slightly hard, as ripe fruit usually falls from the tree. ³

Further information

Bosc's bottle pear is a variety of the European cultivated pear ( Pyrus communis L.). This belongs to the pear genus ( Pyrus), which contains 22 species and other varieties. These can pollinate each other and form hybrids. ² Other well-known species are the Chinese pear ( Pyrus calleryana 'Chanticleer') or the Pyrus pyrifolia Nakai, known as the Nashi pear.

The pear belongs to the pome fruit family (Pyrinae) in the rose family (Rosaceae). Other well-known pome fruits are: apple ( Malus), chokeberries ( Aronia), quince (Cydonia) and medlar ( Mespilus).

Alternative names

Boscs bottle pear is also often called Kaiser Alexander, Calebasse Boscs, Kaiserbirne, Alexanderbirne and Kaiserkrone.

Imperial crown is also used for the Princess Marianne variety. They look similar, but the stem of the Boscs is shorter and does not have a bulge on the fruit. The Boscs also ripens later and has a different taste. ³

The English name is bosc pear or Beurre Bosc pear. Beurre refers to the French beurré (butter), which refers to the buttery, soft flesh of the fruit.