Harry and David Pears - what's the big hubub?

[charissa]

I'm just curious, b/c every year since I was a kid - these are all over the place (during the holidays anyway). I personally am not a fan of pears, but am curious still.

Anyone eat these every year? What's the diff between those royal something or other pears vs. regular pears you ocan get in the grocery store?

Thanks!!! :)

[laura]

We gave a big H&D gift basket recently to a colleague at work, and he went out of his way to comment that the pears were the juiciest, tastiest pears he had ever eaten. I've never had them myself, b/c I don't like pears.

[janders6]

I don't get them every year, but I've had them before and they are by far the best pears I've ever eaten.

[Kimmer]

They are amazing pears. We would get a few boxes at my job for the holidays and they were wonderful. So sweet like honey. Awesome fruit.

[jki]

They are great. The texture is VERY silky and smooth and the pears are juicy and sweet. They're also huge. I give them to my parents every year.

[maxandmolly]

The H&D gift baskets were the highlight of the holiday season at my old job. The pears are wonderful-but one year we had apples too and they only "eh". And their truffles...........great. Now I'm hungry.

[pixiecat]

I once received a H&D chocolate/nut covered apple that was as big as my head. Ah. good times.

[Rosebud]

The pears really are amazingly good. I don't know if it's the flavor, the juciness or the fact that they are at their peak of ripeness when they arrive, but they're great. We have a lot of fresh pears around here, but it's hard to find ones as good as H&D.

[KitKat]

Never been disappointed with their pears. Growing up, our family received their gift baskets on a regular basis and always enjoyed them. I am not a big pear fan but I really like their pears. Today I still like to give and receive their baskets.

[MLA]

It's strange, but their pears are AMAZING. I'm not sure how they do it, but I've never had a better pear in my life.

[December27JJB]

I love H&D pears. Growing up we got a box of them every Christmas from my aunt in Oregon.

[charissa]

OK - great. Now my curiousty is seriously getting the better of me. I may have to get a box... :)

[granada]

Their pears are soft and smooth, not the normal crunchy pears you'd get in the supermarket. That's why there's often a spoon in the picture with the pears. H&D is always my go-to gift when I'm not sure what to get someone for Christmas.

[mar5195]

The pears first are just really pretty to look at. They don't have spots or divits in them. Also they are really sweet and not hard (they sell them right as their ripining).

[skyblu]

OMG, by far the best pears I've ever tasted! My FH and I got some from FFIL for Christmas once and our "snack" during a long road trip was H&D pears with slices of Stilton cheese. We ate the whole box of pears! :eek:

Yummmmmm!

[conneals]

The pears are just perfect. Juicy and tasty. Before she died, My mom always bought us a basket for Christmas.

[lbs27]

bumping this up to ask a question. MIL ordered the Pearsnapples for me and I'm trying to figure out if it's right. It's supposed to be 4 of their Royal Riviera pears and 4 apples. First, there are only 3 apples (with an empty place complete with tissue just waiting for the 4th!). But, it's the pears I can't figure out. They are kind of beat up looking and are hard and crunchy, definitely NOT the pears they tout on their website and that others have posted about here. These pears are the ones that are supposed to be in the gift combination, but I'm trying to figure out if they have some other kind of pear that got substituted, or if mine just aren't ripe? They really are nothing special over what you'd get at the supermarket and I'm disappointed because I really wanted to try their Royal Riviera ones. I'm going to call, but was curious if anyone else had this experience or knew if they have other pears--I seriously can't tell from the website. Thanks!

[junkinmytrunk]

No advice for lbs (sorry) but I just noticed this thread and wanted to comment. Yeah, the pears are delish and we always received boxes at the holidays at most of the offices where I've worked. HOWEVER, the LAST time I ate these the box had THREE PEARS with BITES in the sides of them. You could actually see the teeth marks right in the darned things! We called H&D and they replaced the pears, but it was still freaky all the same.

Sorry for veering OT lbs! Just had to share.

[lbs27]

junkinmytrunk-- :eek: Eww. that would totally freak me out! I'm really surprised by the condition of the pears I got, whether or not they're the right ones, they're still all marked and scratched. We ordered something from H&D a few years ago for DH's grandparents and it was totally a fiasco and they were unhelpful when we tried to make it right. So, this whole pear gift has me really unenthusiastic about ordering again from them. :(

[thyme]

IIRC, they do sell what they call "Maverick" versions of some of their fruit -- it's less expensive because they're not aesthetically perfect. But they should still be ripe, and the right number in the box!

[Bootsy]

I've had them and think they are the most scrumptious pears I have ever eaten and will ever eat in my life! I don't know how they manage it but they are outrageously delicious. You will never have a better pear.