Anjou Pear

Pyrus communis 'Anjou'

fruit

Anjou is a European winter pear with a sweet, juicy white flesh and the unusual habit of staying green even when fully ripe. The teardrop fruit is mild and floral, ideal for both fresh eating and poaching, and the variety stores for as long as six months in cold storage, which is why winter grocery shelves are full of it.

✅ Plant alongside

Good neighbors that attract beneficial insects or deter pests

• Comfrey — Deep taproot lifts minerals to the surface; cut leaves make a potassium-rich mulch
• Daffodils — Spring bulbs around the trunk deter voles and other gnawing rodents
• Yarrow — Attracts predatory wasps that hunt codling moth and pear psylla
• White Clover — Living mulch that fixes nitrogen and adds organic matter under the canopy

🛡️ Pest & disease prevention

Proactive ways to stop trouble before it starts — tap a name with an arrow for its full guide

• Fire blight →

  Avoid over-fertilizing with nitrogen, prune blighted shoots 12 in below cankers in dry weather, and disinfect tools between cuts

• Pear psylla →

  Spray dormant oil before bud break to smother overwintering adults and keep canopy open for natural enemies

• Codling moth →

  Hang pheromone traps, bag young fruit, and pick up drops weekly to break the cycle

• Voles and rabbits →

  Wrap the lower trunk with a plastic guard pushed 2 inches into the soil and keep mulch off the bark

🌾 Harvest & storage

Anjou is picked firm in late September when the dark green color shifts to a slightly lighter green and the skin develops a waxy feel. Refrigerate in perforated bags for one to two months to develop the best winter flavor, then ripen at room temperature for 5 to 7 days. The pear is ready to eat when the flesh near the neck yields to gentle thumb pressure.

🥗 Nutrition & benefits

About 57 calories per 100 g with 3.1 g of fiber, 4 mg vitamin C, and 116 mg potassium. Pears are notable for their soluble fiber pectin, which supports gut health and helps moderate blood sugar.

⚠️ Toxicity & safety

Eat the flesh, not the seeds. Apple and pear seeds contain amygdalin, a cyanide-releasing compound. Swallowing a seed or two is harmless, but do not deliberately eat or crush the seeds or cores in quantity.