Should I peel a pear?

Only if the skin bothers you. Most of the fibre and antioxidants sit in the peel, so eat it whole when your stomach allows.

Does poached pear really help a cough?

It soothes a dry throat and it's comforting, which is why Persian households have made it for generations. It doesn't treat an infection, and a cough that lasts needs a doctor.

Why is my pear hard in the shop and mush two days later?

Pears ripen off the tree, from the inside out. Buy them firm, keep them out of the fridge, and press near the stem — if that gives, it's ready.

Can I use any pear for poaching?

Use a firm one. A soft ripe pear collapses in the syrup. This is the one case where slightly underripe fruit is what you want.

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Chapter 1 of 13

Pear

If You Read Nothing Else

A medium pear carries around six grams of fibre — most of it in the peel.

Low acid and low irritation makes it one of the easiest fruits on a sensitive stomach.

Poached with rock candy, it's the classical Persian remedy for a dry, tickling cough. Known to botanists as Pyrus communis.

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