GIFTING PEARS

Gift giving season is here, and this idea stands out in a world full of the same recycled influencer guides. Instead of another generic present, build your own pear box. Pears have a quiet luxury vibe that feels thoughtful and elevated without being over the top. The tradition of giving fresh fruit goes back centuries, when it was seen as a sign of respect and abundance. By putting together your own pear gift box, you skip the overpriced sets and give something sincere, beautiful, and surprisingly affordable. This is the perfect gift for anyone who is hard to shop for or already has everything.

The most important part of gifting pears is choosing a great variety with a medium ripeness - too hard and they’ll have to wait a while to enjoy, too soft and their thumb may go through the fruit just taking it out of the box! You want a variety that looks great, tastes fantastic, and holds up well before delivery. Here are top picks and why they work:

• Comice pear – Ultra sweet, buttery texture, often used in high-end pear gift boxes.

• Bosc pear – Firm texture, holds shape well, good for both eating fresh and sharing.

• D’Anjou pear (Green or Red) – Versatile, good texture and flavor, and familiar to many recipients.

• Bartlett pear – Classic pear taste, though softer when ripe so you’ll want to manage ripeness carefully.

My recommendation for your gift boxes? Comice (for a premium feel) or Bosc/D’Anjou (for solid value and presentation). Make sure the pears are close to ripe and don’t have many blemishes. You can even choose multiple varieties for a colorful presentation!

Now presentation matters, but so does getting them to the recipient in perfect condition. You want to protect your pears but ensure they can “breathe” for maximum freshness. Here are some packing tips from our pear pros:

• Wrap each pear individually in tissue paper (or protective sleeve) to reduce pressure or bruising during delivery.

• Use a shallow box or crate with good ventilation for the fruit to “breathe.”

• Place a layer of soft padding or shredded paper underneath, and arrange pears so they aren’t pressing into each other.

• Don’t pack them too early before delivery so you can double check that pears are not over-ripe- you want them arriving ready to eat, but not mushy.

Let’s look at what you’ll spend and how much you could save.

• On the premium side: a standard price point for a well-known brand is usually $30-40 for about 9 pears. Some boxes can go up to $80 or more for the same amount!

• According to Tridge, purchasing fresh pears at the store is typically around $1.26-2.27 per pound.

• With this in mind, it would cost around $8 to gift the same amount of pears. After taking wrapping into account, you’re looking at a cost of around $15-20 per box.

Whatever you choose to do with your pear box, you’re offering someone a treat without going the candy route, and that in an of itself stands out above the rest! So go ahead, gift a box of delicious pears that’s fresh, cost-effective, thoughtful, and totally “pear-fect.”