Core a Pear

Pears are delicious in everything from desserts to salads, but nobody likes having to spit out pear seeds in the middle of a meal. This tutorial will show you a couple of simple ways to remove a pear’s core, whether you want the pear cut in halves or wedges, or kept whole for poaching.

Steps

Coring Pear Halves

  1. Slice the pair in half, lengthwise. Place the pear upright on the cutting board. Cut near the stem from end to end in one smooth movement, slicing your pear in half.
  2. Remove the core. Scoop out the core of the pair (the section with seeds) using a melon baller or a teaspoon-sized measuring spoon. The instrument you select depends on the firmness of the pear--the melon baller is better for hard fruit, while the measuring spoon is better for soft.
  3. Remove the stem. Slice out the stem by cutting a "V" shape around its edges using a knife, as shown in the image.
  4. Peel the pear. Remove the pear’s skin using a small, sharp knife or a vegetable peeler. Now you can use the pear for your recipe or eat it as is.
    • You can also leave the skin on, since it's edible and very good for you, but it might throw off the texture of your recipe if you do.
    • If you like, you can also peel the pear before you core it.

Coring Whole Pears

  1. Peel the pear. The first thing to do is peel the pear using a small, sharp knife or vegetable peeler.
    • If you want a perfectly smooth pear for poaching, the vegetable peeler is your best bet.
    • After it's peeled, go over the pear with the peeler a second time to remove any rough ridges.
  2. Remove the core. Starting at the bottom of the pear, use a melon baller or teaspoon sized measuring spoon to scoop out the base of the pair, followed by the core. The pear will look whole when standing upright, but will have a hole at the bottom where the core has been removed.
    • Alternatively, you can use a fruit corer - a special tool designed to remove the cores from fruit. Simply place the end of the corer (which is essentially a hollow metal tube) over the stem then press it downwards, forcing it all the way through the center of the pear. Give it one or two turns, then draw it out. You will now have a perfectly cored pear.
    • If the pear is a little wobbly after coring, you can cut an even slice from the bottom so it stands upright.
  3. Stop pears from turning brown. If you're not ready to use your cored pears just yet, place them in a bowl of cold water with a few slices of lemon. This will prevent them from oxidizing and turning brown.

Pear Recipes

  1. Make poached pears. Poached pears make a delicious dessert, and will put your pear coring skills to good use. This simple recipe poaches the pairs in a vanilla and sugar syrup.
  2. Make Poached Pears in Wine. This warm, spicy version of poached pears makes an elegant dessert perfect for serving at dinner parties.
  3. Make Pear Pie. For a fun variation on the traditional apple pie - try this tasty pear version. Perfect served with vanilla ice cream.
  4. Make Caramelized Roast Pears. These roasted pears make a delicious after-dinner treat. Served with whipped cream and caramelized pecans - what's not to love?
  5. Make a Cinnamon Pear Preserve. If you've had a large harvest of pears that you don't know what to do with, try this cinnamon pear preserve. Equally good spooned over your morning cereal or ice cream dessert.
  6. Make Asian Pear Salad With Pecans. This tasty but low fat salad is all about bold flavors and contrasting textures, making it a perfect choice for lunchtime.

Tips

  • Metal melon ballers/measuring spoons are best for this technique, since plastic breaks easily if you put too much pressure on it.
  • Pears ripen when left in room temperature, so it is best to buy pears that are still hard.

Things You'll Need

  • Cutting board
  • Knife
  • Measuring spoon/melon baller
  • Fruit corer

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Sources and Citations

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