Throughout October, Breast Cancer Awareness Month, you can send specially packaged “Pink Pears” as a gift. Nine large pears, some wrapped in pink foil, plus a limited-edition pink tote bag, are $36.95.

Your purchase helps fight cancer: 25% of proceeds will be donated to breast cancer research.

Pear Nutrition: Pears are a nutritious food. In addition to fiber, they contain large amounts of vitamin C and copper, both antioxidants that help fight free radicals (learn more in our Antioxidant Glossary).

Consumption of pears has been linked to cardiovascular and colon health; and they help to fight against postmenopausal breast cancer and macular degeneration.

Pears for the cure. Photo courtesy
Harry and David.

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• Learn how these comice pears got the name “Royal Riviera.”

Pear History: Pears have been cultivated in what is now western China for 3,000 years. However, they may date back to the Stone Age, some 2.9 million years ago.

The original wild pear is small and bitter. For millennia it was made into a fermented drink (now called perry), similar to cide. The ancient Romans cooked and served it with meat, the common practice until the 16th century, when it was discovered that some varieties could be consumed raw. In the 17th century, botanists discovered how to breed sweet, juicy varieties.

The pear came to America with early colonists. America remains the world’s largest producer of pears, along with China.