If you are a fan of pears, in all its forms, fresh, poached, baked, and even grilled; then you may want to learn how to cut a pear the right way. Learning how to cut pears will allow you to get the most out of this delicious fruit. That is the reason why today we’ll be showing you different ways to cut a pear.
Pears are delicious and pretty versatile; you can enjoy them as part of a salad, tart, or pie; and the best part is it’s easy to cut pears into a variety of shapes. While there is not necessarily a right or wrong way to cut pears, you can slice a pear however you like it, based on your recipe or fresh eating preference.
While trying to cut a pear may sound a bit intimidating, you have nothing to worry about. It is only a matter of having the right tools and following simple guidelines before cutting pears like a pro. We’ll be showing you a few techniques you can use to make it simpler to get the most fruit, so keep on reading and take your pear cutting skills to the next level.
How to Cut a Pear FAQs
How do you cut pears?
Cut the pear in half lengthwise with a 4″ Paring Knife. Lay the halves flat on the cutting board and cut into quarters. Lay the quarters flat side down and then angle the knife to cut diagonally to remove the core. Lay the pear pieces flat on the cutting board, cut into strips, then crosswise to dice.
What is the best way to cut a pear?
While you will cut a pear, make sure that you use the right knife to cut it properly. Put the pear on your cutting board. First, cut that pear into 1/3 by starting just to the side of the stem now; you have the oval-shaped piece with one flat side. Now, place the flat side on your cutting board. Now, place the flat side on the cutting board. You have to make parallel cuts with your knife by long way down with the pear. Move each cut the distance of the desired thickness till you have correctly cut them all across the pear.
Can you eat pear skin?
Pears are an excellent source of soluble and insoluble fiber, essential for digestive health. As pear skin contains substantial fiber, it’s best to eat this fruit unpeeled.
How do you remove the core from a pear?
Place the end of the corer (which is essentially a hollow metal tube) over the stem, then press it downwards, forcing it through the center of the pear. Give it one or two turns, then draw it out. You will now have a perfectly cored pear.
How do you prepare pears before cutting?
- Rinse the pear in cool water: Whether you’re peeling the pear or not, it’s essential to wash the skin to remove any dirt or bacteria that might be on the fruit’s surface. You may want to use your fingers or a vegetable brush to gently scrub the peel’s surface to ensure it gets clean.
- Peel the pear with a fruit peeler unless the peel is very thin: On many pears, the peel is thick and not necessarily pleasant to eat, even though it contains many nutrients. If you want to peel the pear before cutting it, hold it in one hand and the fruit peeler in the other, then drag the peeler down the pear vertically to remove the skin. Continue working around the pear. You can use the peeler to smooth out any rough edges.
How to prevent pears from turning brown?
- Lemon juice will effectively stop the oxidation process in fruits like pears.
- Cut or slice pears into your desired shapes. Then, take a lemon and squirt its juice all over the pears.
- When the citric acid in the lemon juice comes into contact with the pear tissue, it deactivates the enzymes and slows the browning.
Can you cut a pear ahead of time?
Yes, you can cut and slice pears ahead of time and maintain their beautiful white color. The important part is to deactivate the enzymes and stop them from oxidizing when exposed to air.
How do you keep cut pears fresh?
- Add lemon juice to them after cutting if you want your pears to maintain their freshness and beauty.
- Then wrap the slices individually using plastic wrap and put them in the fridge. You can also use tinfoil, a plastic bag, or a plastic container with a lid.
- Ensure your package is airtight to stop the slices from browning over time.
- Pears will lose their texture, flavor, and brown, even if you use lemon juice on them.
- So it would help if you ate the pear cuts within 3-4 days. If the pear slices look brown, soft, and squishy, they may have gone wrong.
How to Cut a Pear
Tools
- Cutting board
- Knife
- Melon baller
These tools also work great with kiwis. Do you know how to cut a kiwi?
Bamboo Cutting Board Set
Use the cutting-chopping-cheese board as a platter to serve cheese and charcuterie – it is comfortable to carry and good-looking.
Smooth bamboo wood doesn’t dull your knives and feels easy to cut on. Also, there will be no scratches and marks on the board.
The high-quality cutting board set is made from bamboo and will work great for your chopping boards needs.
Features:
- Wood
- Knife-friendly surface
- Rectangular
PAUDIN 5 inch Chef Knife
This small, petty knife is a multipurpose kitchen knife. This utility knife is nimble enough for almost all kinds of slicing, dicing, and mincing, easily to re-sharpen, clean, and maintain.
This classic utility knife is made from high-quality German stainless steel. And the cutting core reaches 56+ Rockwell Hardness.
And the sharp blade will allow you to cut your food effortlessly for a long time, and the knife is finely honed for long-lasting sharpness.
Features:
- All-purpose
- Ergonomic
- German stainless steel
OXO Good Grips Melon Baller
The small-sized scoop (1-in/25.4 mm diameter) is ideal for strawberries, pears, tomatoes, and scooping the seeds out of vegetables like bell peppers, cucumbers, zucchini, summer, and winter squash.
The big scoop (1.25-in/31.75mm diameter) is great for fruit salad, drop cookies, and scooping ice cream. Edges are sharp enough to scoop fruit but safe to touch. Separates fruit without piercing skin and cleanly removes seeds.
Features:
- Durable
- Non-slip handle
- Dishwasher safe
Methods
Classic cut
- Set the washed pears on top of a cutting board.
- Cut each pear lengthwise in half with a sharp, clean knife.
- Place a melon baller on top of the core and push it into the core to scoop it out.
- Throw away the core.
- Cut away any brown spots or overly soft spots with the knife.
- Cut the pear halves into quarters or smaller slices as you prefer.
Salad pear
- Cut the pear in half lengthwise; remove core, seeds, and stem using a melon baller.
- Thinly slice pear halves lengthwise; add to bowl.
- Add celery pieces, and drizzle the vinaigrette over the salad. Toss gently to combine.
Sliced pear
- First, decide the width of your desired slices. For some applications, you may want them razor-thin; for others, up to ½ an inch wide. That will determine the spacing for your cuts.
- Place the pear on your cutting board fat side down, stem side up
- Slice off 1/3 of the pear, starting just to the side of the stem; you now have an oval-shaped piece with one flat side
- Place the flat side on your cutting board
- Using a “claw” grip, make parallel cuts with your knife the long way down the pear.
- Move each cut the distance of your desired thickness until you’ve cut across the pear.
- Repeat with the other side of the pear, and then you can do the same to the two remaining smaller sides of the pear.
- And you have your pear slices
Pear “Fan”
- If you want to make a more decorative piece out of your pear, you can do so with almost the same process.
- As opposed to having your slices cut through the pear, leave about a quarter-inch attached at the tip.
- Once done, you can use a bit of pressure to slide the pieces apart and create a fanned-out look.
- After a few times, you’ll get good enough to do this without leaving the tip of the pear intact.
- And this technique will work with all kinds of fruit and vegetables cut in the same way.
How to Cut a Pear Additional Tips
- Always pick fresh pears to consume. If you are purchasing them from the stores, ensure that you have thoroughly checked that no ant-contaminated or poisonous chemicals are being used.
- Always eat the pear freshly. In this way, the proportion of the protein will be intact.
