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Okay, I have to ask a stupid question...
I personally like under-ripe (crunchy) pears. I don't like mature (mushy) pears.
Same thing with bananas. I like them when they're a bit hard to peel (slightly green), and leave the "fuzzy" feeling on your teeth.
Am I missing out on a lot of vitamins and enzymes by eating my pears and bananas "under-done?"
Thanks!
Tom
Interesting question. I'm no expert on this but I've read that pears are one food that are safe to eat while not ripe. And that's a good thing because kids often prefer them crunchy.
I no longer eat bananas because I have diabetes and they are so high in carbs. But when I did eat them, I could only eat them if they were so green they were hard to peel.
Tom, I'm the same way with pears and bananas too. I get the sense that you're missing out on some sugar. If the pear were to get a red blush if ripe and you're eating it without that, maybe you're missing a few of those red antioxidants (but pears aren't as big a source as something really red like an apple). I'd say if you like them and you're not showing problems with digestion, you're fine and there's not much you're missing... you're eating them at a semi-ripe stage really, what you've described isn't really totally unripe.
Because they gas bananas with ethylene to "ripen" them anyway, you're not getting some magic tree ripened longer grown banana. They're all pretty much picked green and fake ripened by gas.
Similarly, the pears, they are generally picked while still hard, so they ship and pack well. If they're soft and mushy, that's because they've aged on your counter.
So I say eat what you enjoy. There's not much of significance you're missing IMO. Now a green pepper versus a red one, that's a different story.
PS the only stupid question is the one you don't ask. ;)
I have a Pear Tree that is suppose to produce 5 different Types of Pears..It hasn't yet, maybe next year.
I LOVE Pears hard. I like my Bananas soft, I will use a Black Banana in a Smoothie.
I Like my Peaches just beyond Green. I have 3 Peach Trees and I eat them all before the Birds even know they were there. I LOVE IT.................