If we’re lucky, we’ll start to see pears in our seasonal fruit bags / boxes (or ready for picking in our back gardens!) from the end of August all the way through to the beginning of February.
Pears come from the same family as apples but when ripe usually have much softer flesh than ripe apples. Unlike other fruits, pears ripened on the tree are less delicious and smooth than pears that are harvested and finish their ripening off the branch. If they are left to ripen on the branch, pears develop a particularly gritty, woody texture.
One of the most interesting things about pears is, I think, that they cause the fewest allergic reactions in people of all the fruits. Which has lead many people (although not vegetarians, I’m afraid) to live on a "lamb and pears" diet for a short while whilst they reintroduce foods they suspect they may be allergic to, as lamb is also very rarely associated with allergic reactions.
Buy…
Ripe pears will yield to gentle pressure at the stem end.
Store…
Ripe pears can be stored for several days in the fridge in a plastic bag.
To ripen pears at home, wrap them in paper and put them in a cool, dark place for a few days.
Keep ripe pears away from strong smelling things like onions and garlic – they really absorb the odour!
Prepare…
There’s no need to peel pears, unless they’re not organic. Just give them a wash. Their skin is a valuable source of fibre.
Cook…
Whilst pears are delicious raw, in desserts or with cheese boards or in salads (one of the hits of last Summer was pea and pear salad), they are also very special baked, poached, roasted, or fried. Don’t be fooled into thinking that pears = pudding. They make a great addition to savoury meals, and are a delicious ingredient in savoury stuffings too.
That said, our feature recipe for pears IS a dessert recipe. Welcome to:
My Mum’s Particularly Piggy Pear Pie
Enjoy!
Categories: food, fruit, seasonal eating
