The U.S. Department of Agriculture has officially declared December as National Pear Month, a time to celebrate the abundance and variety of USA Pears, now at their peak and available nationwide. Pears can star in festive appetizers and holiday feasts, gifted fresh, preserved as jam or chutney, and as portable, healthy snacks throughout this active time of year.
“All 10 varieties of Northwest-grown pears are as uniquely delicious as they are beautiful,” says Kathy Stephenson, marketing communications director for the Pear Bureau Northwest, a nonprofit organization representing nearly 1,600 pear growers in Washington and Oregon. “This season’s bountiful pear harvest is available in stores from coast to coast in perfect time to share during holiday gatherings and celebrations.”
Portland-based Pear Bureau Northwest kicked off National Pear Month on Dec. 1 with a holiday-themed feature banner on usapears.org and special holiday recipes, including a savory and lightly sweet Delicata Squash and Roasted Pear dish developed for the season. Additionally, retailers are featuring pear, wine and cheese pairings across the U.S. and Canada in celebration of National Pear Month.
A month-long social media campaign will include new recipes and serving ideas for 10 pear varieties, an Instagram contest and multiple blog posts.
“We partnered with several food bloggers to capture the excitement and food trends happening in the blogging community,” says Stephenson. “Tasking these creative foodies with recipe development brings fresh ideas and introduces a new audience to USA Pears.”
With 168,000 followers, Lindsay Landis of Love & Olive Oil begins the campaign with a post presentation of Marzipan Pear Hand Pies. Also joining the discussion during National Pear Month will be One Sweet Appetite with a network of more than 9,000 followers and The Little Epicurean with nearly 4,000 followers.
#perfectPEARings sweepstakes on Instagram
Pear lovers are invited to participate in USA Pears’ #perfectPEARings sweepstakes on Instagram during National Pear Month. Through Dec. 10, post Instagram photos of creative pear snacks and pairings with hashtag #pearfectPEARings to win a box of fresh Northwest-grown pears. For contest details, follow USA Pears on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook.
