Comice
Available as:
Stemilt & Artisan Organics
Facts of Interest: This French variety of pear is considered one of the sweetest and juiciest of all the winter pears.
The Comice was first cultivated near Angers, France, in the mid-1800's. The first red sports, which are naturally occurring mutations of the tree, were discovered in the 1900's near Medford, Oregon. The sport had a somewhat striped pattern. A full-red sport was discovered about 10 years later also in the Medford area.
The shape of the Comice is unique among varieties. They have a rotund body and a very short, well-defined neck. They are usually green in color, and sometimes have a red blush covering areas of the pear’s surface. As the fruit ripens the blush areas often take on a yellow hue. Like all pears, Comice ripen best at room temperature in a paper bag or fruit bowl.
Comice pears are best described as creamy in texture, abundantly full of juice, and very sweet, making them ideal for fresh eating and salads.
Characteristics
Appearance:
Green in color or with red blush covering small to large areas of the skin surface
Texture & Firmness:
Flesh is very soft and creamy
Internal Character:
Creamy white color
Flavor:
Richly sweet
Shape:
Rotund body with a very short, well-defined neck
Size:
Medium
Uses:
Fresh or in salads, best with cheese; Not recommended for any cooking purposes
Artisan Organics is Stemilt’s banner for organic tree fruits. This label adorns all packaging and price look-up (PLU) stickers on Stemilt’s organic apples, pears, cherries and stone fruits.
Stemilt began major investments in organic tree fruit production back in 1989. At the time, farming organically on a large-scale was unheard of, since there were so few organic applications available. Despite the challenges, Stemilt founder Tom Mathison knew there was potential for organics in the marketplace and continued preparing Stemilt for future growth.
Because of Tom’s foresight, Stemilt gradually increased its organic presence, and today, is one of the nation’s leading shippers of organic tree fruits. Try Artisan Organics for a unique flavor experience that only natural farming methods can deliver!
Check out our Organic Leader page to learn more about what makes Stemilt a standout in the organic field!
Check out our Organic Leader page to learn more about what makes Stemilt a standout in the organic field!
Stemilt grows pears in Washington’s Wenatchee River Valley, an area known worldwide for its fertile soil and cool climate. Here, snow-capped, Alpine mountains rise behind rolling hills blanketed with pear orchards. Cooler temperatures and high-quality air drainage combine to create the premium quality of Stemilt’s numerous delectable pear varieties.
Pears are unique, in that, they are harvested at full maturity, but still may not be perfectly ripe when you take them home from the store. Stemilt believes that consumers shouldn’t have to wait to enjoy their pears. Our conditioning program, called RipeRite™, gets the ripening process started so you have ready-to-eat pears every time you shop.