How to Steam Pears

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Last Updated: September 16, 2021 Tested

All steamed foods are cooked over simmering water, and pears or no different. First, wash, peel, chop, and core your pears. Then, just boil some water, place your pears on top, and wait for your pears to soften. If you don’t have a steamer basket, you can opt to steam your pears in the microwave. Steamed pears can be made into a delicious dessert or pureed for baby food. However you decide to prepare your steamed pears, just know that you’re in for a delicious treat.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Peeling and Cutting the Pears

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1
Choose pears that are smooth, shiny, and firm. When you’re choosing pears for your steaming, make sure they are ripe and not rotten. The best way to choose good pears is to pick them up, feel them, and to look for any dark bruising. Good pears will be smooth and firm, but not too hard. Choose pears with bright, shiny skin. Some light bruising is normal, but dark bruising may mean the pear is mushy and will go bad quickly. ^{[1]
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- Some pears are sold unripe, and this is okay. Unripe pears feel very hard when you squeeze them. You can ripen your pears at home by storing them in a paper bag at room temperature with a ripe banana or apple. Depending on the type of pears you bought, this may take 4-10 days.
- Bartlett pears are similar to bananas; they change color from green to yellow when they are ripe and ready to eat. ^{[2]
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- The best types of pears to stem are bosc, Anjou, and French butter pears because they tend to keep their shape when cooked. ^{[3]
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2
Wash and soak your pears in cold water and vinegar. Before eating any kind of fruit or vegetable, it is important to thoroughly wash them. Vinegar can be used to wash fruit because it will completely remove bacteria. To wash your pears, fill up your clean sink with water and add 1 cup (240 mL) of vinegar. Add your pears and stir all of them together in the sink. Let them soak for 10 minutes to remove the wax and dirty film that covers the pears. Rinse the pears with water cool water after they’ve finished soaking. ^{[4]
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- Make sure your sink is clean before soaking the pears. All you need to do is wipe the sink down with liquid dish soap on a clean, damp cloth. Rinse the soap from the sink when you’re finished cleaning.
- Dry your pears off when you’re finished soaking them.
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3
Remove the skin with a vegetable peeler. Before steaming your pears, you’ll want to peel the skin. To use a vegetable peeler, hold the pear in one hand and the peeler in the other. Use the peeler scrape the skin off from the top of the pear down to the bottom. Continue this motion of peeling from the top to the bottom of the pear, working your way around until all of the skin is gone. ^{[5]
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- If you don’t have a vegetable peeler, you can use a paring knife for easy peeling. Use the knife in the same way as the vegetable peeler by slowly cutting away the skin . Make sure to cut away from your body.
4
Core and chop the pears. To core a pear , lay it down on its side and use a knife to cut right down the middle lengthwise. Once it’s cut in half use a knife to cut out the stem on the bottom. Use your fingers to pull out the stem and its string at the top of the pear. Then, using a small spoon or melon baller, scoop out the core in the center. Finally, cut your pear into slices or quarters, depending on what your recipe calls for. ^{[6]
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- The core is a small, round area that contains the seeds.