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-1800s. The first red sports, which are naturally occurring mutations of the tree, were discovered in the 1900s 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 Growers’ banner for organic tree fruits. This label adorns all packaging and price look-up stickers on Stemilt’s organic apples, pears, cherries, and stone fruits.
We began major investments in organic tree fruit production back in 1989. That’s when Stemilt founder Tom Mathison launched his Responsible Choice program, urging growers and company managers to look for ways to conserve natural resources and reduce synthetic materials in all our growing and packing operations.
Since that year, Stemilt has become a national leader in organic tree fruit production and packing:
• Artisan Organics are grown with tree and soil balance in mind.
• Natural tree and soil balance encourages the orchards’ innate defenses, creating tastier fruit that needs no synthetic fertilizers.
• Artisan Organics are farmed 100% organically so there is no residue on the fruit.
• Artisan Organics come from modern orchards that use the latest growing and harvesting techniques.
Stemilt’s Artisan Organics are grown with extreme care. See and taste the difference that our natural farming methods produce.
Check out our Organic Leader page to learn how we grow and pack organic fruit and what makes Stemilt a standout in the organic field!
Stemilt grows pears in Washington’s Wenatchee River Valley, an area known ‘round the world for its ideal soil and climate for pears. Snow-capped, Alpine mountains rise behind the rolling hills blanketed with pear orchards. It’s here where the cooler temperatures of the Valley create the premium quality in Stemilt’s numerous delectable pear varieties.
Most pears are harvested green so when you take them home, you wait...and wait...until they ripen. But Stemilt’s pear conditioning program gets the ripening process started so you have ready-to-eat pears every time you shop. Look for Stemilt’s ripened pears in your favorite grocery store, and don’t forget to take home some Artisan Organics pears, too!