Published: Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Pears can give your dessert a little extra class
Pears with their graceful shape and floral flavor have an elegance that few fruits can command. They have a distinctive, pleasantly grainy texture that distinguishes them from their botanical cousins, apples.
Pears and apples are often interchangeable in recipes, but using pears is a sure way to amp up the classiness factor in a dessert.
Pears are perfect with cheese; a strong blue cheese and a sweet juicy pear are a match made in heaven.
Pears, like apples, come in a multitude of sizes and types. There are two main varieties: bell-shaped European varieties and round apple-crisp Asian pears.
Pears are best in late summer and fall. Ripe pears will have a slight give at their neck and a pleasant floral aroma.
Pears ripen off the tree, which is why they can come to market rock hard. They will soften when left at room temperature, but tucking them into a sealed paper bag with a banana speeds up the process. Pears suited for eating out of hand or serving with cheese are juicy Anjou, Bartletts or Comice (think ABC).
When cooking, use the dense, tan-skinned Bosc pears. They transform into delicious tender fruit when roasted or poached.
For a great all-purpose pear, seek out the speckled pint-sized Forelle. Asian pears, which are crisp and juicy, are great sliced in salads and relishes.
Food Network Kitchens
Pears and apples are often interchangeable in recipes, but using pears is a sure way to amp up the classiness factor in a dessert.
Pears are perfect with cheese; a strong blue cheese and a sweet juicy pear are a match made in heaven.
Pears, like apples, come in a multitude of sizes and types. There are two main varieties: bell-shaped European varieties and round apple-crisp Asian pears.
Pears are best in late summer and fall. Ripe pears will have a slight give at their neck and a pleasant floral aroma.
Pears ripen off the tree, which is why they can come to market rock hard. They will soften when left at room temperature, but tucking them into a sealed paper bag with a banana speeds up the process. Pears suited for eating out of hand or serving with cheese are juicy Anjou, Bartletts or Comice (think ABC).
When cooking, use the dense, tan-skinned Bosc pears. They transform into delicious tender fruit when roasted or poached.
For a great all-purpose pear, seek out the speckled pint-sized Forelle. Asian pears, which are crisp and juicy, are great sliced in salads and relishes.
Food Network Kitchens
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