Pears are a confounding fruit. For one thing, they achieve their best flavor and smoothest texture when ripened off the tree. And to confuse matters even more, they ripen from the inside out. So pear purists are forever frustrated with the knowledge that on any given day – if not vigilant to the very moment of perfection – they may miss a pear’s peak performance.
But pears are worth the effort. When properly grown, ripened and stored, the results – be they fabulous gingered pears, cinnamon-poached with hot fudge sauce or a spicy pear chutney – are delightful.
To some extent local pears can be found in just about every state, but Oregon, Washington and California account for 98 percent of U.S. pear production. California’s peak months are August through October; Oregon and Washington peak in September. The harvest of so-called winter pears begins in mid- to late September, with Oregon and Washington supplying the bulk of that crop.
Bartletts, available beginning in August, are considered a summer pear, but because of improved storage techniques they can be found throughout the winter. All of the rest, which begin coming to market in mid- to late-September or later, fall under the winter pear label. The leading winter varieties include the Anjou, Bosc, Comice (my personal favorite), Seckel and Forelle. Seckel and Forelle varietieis can be difficult to track down.
To properly ripen a pear requires patience and proceeds best at room temperature. To hasten the process you can place the fruit in a paper bag to trap the pear’s natural ripening agent, ethylene gas, which is emitted from the fruit. Since most pear varieties have very little color change as they ripen, the best test is touch. When the stem end yields to gentle pressure, the pear is ripe. However, softness at the blossom end usually means a pear is beyond perfect, and most likely is even rotten to the core. To slow down a pear’s ripening process, or to maintain it once it’s ripened to the desired state, place it in the refrigerator.
Popular varieties
Anjou: Somewhat egg-shaped, green in color and mild in flavor, their harvest begins in mid-September and lasts through October. Early in the season they come to market directly from the orchard, but improve with a month or two of cold storage. They don’t change color as they ripen, and are not especially a good cooking pear.
Bartlett: The season begins with this bell-shaped specimen once considered a summer variety that didn’t store very well. Since storage conditions have improved, you can now find the Bartlett throughout the winter right along with the other winter pears. Bartlett varieties can be yellow or red.
Bosc: Now that people have learned about this pear’s finer qualities, they’re willing to overlook its brown rough exterior. The Bosc has a long neck and graceful curving stem and is one of the sweetest pears, second only to the Comice. Particularly gritty in the unripened state, the flesh becomes creamy once picked and allowed to ripen off the tree. Once ripe, its texture remains firmer than many other varieties, which makes the Bosc ideal for cooking and preserving.
Comice: This is my hands down favorite. Its creamy texture and juicy sweetness really do it for me. And I’m not alone. It’s considered the juiciest, sweetest and most favored pear for gift boxes and fruit baskets around the country. When properly ripened, the flesh becomes as smooth as butter and exquisitely juicy. The Comice is medium to large, and has a short but defined neck and round, plumpish bottom. The skin is relatively thick and either crimson or greenish yellow in color. The flesh is ivory and very sweet and flavorful. In fact, some insist that a well-ripened Comice should not be peeled, but merely cut in half and scooped out with a spoon.
Forelle: A golden pear with a red blush, this variety is lesser known, particularly in the commercial market.
Seckel: For canners, this is the prized small pear, which is sought out for pickling or packing in a sweet syrup. Because of their diminutive size, they look lovely when packed whole in the canning jar. They are excellent for eating, cooking, canning and pickling. The flesh is quite buttery with a spicy flavor.
Winter Nelis: A very sweet and creamy specimen with firm but tender flesh, the Nelis is an excellent eating, cooking and canning pear. When ripe, it has s few russet dots on a yellow-green skin.
Cinnamon poached pears with hot fudge sauce
The microwave is made for poaching pears and for making chocolate syrups. It provides easy cleanup and foolproof cooking. You may alter the poaching liquid in this recipe by substituting fruit juices – cranberry, apple, orange – or by adding spirits such as triple sec, framboise, eau-de-vie.
2 cups water
3/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Julienned zest of 1/2 lemon
1 3-inch piece cinnamon stick
2 whole cloves
4 firm, ripe Bartlett, Bosc or Anjou pears, cored and trimmed as directed below
Hot fudge sauce (recipe follows)
4 fresh mint leaves for garnish
Microwave method: In a 2-quart microwavable casserole, mix the water, sugar, lemon juice, zest, cinnamon and whole cloves. Cover and microwave on high for 4 minutes.
Meanwhile, leaving the stems on, core the pears through the bottom using a small melon baller, then peel them. Cut a thin slice off the bottom so the pears will stand up. Place the pears in the hot syrup, spooning syrup over the pears to coat thoroughly. Cover and microwave on high for about 10 minutes, turning the dish after 5 minutes. Spoon the syrup over the pears again, cover and let them cool in the syrup. Refrigerate overnight.
Conventional method: Mix the water, sugar, lemon juice and zest, cinnamon stick, and cloves in a medium nonaluminum pan and boil 4 to 5 minutes, then add the cored and trimmed pears. Cover and poach for 10 to 12 minutes, or until pears are tender.
To assemble and serve: Puddle a little fudge sauce onto dessert plate. Top each with a poached pear, then spoon 1 tablespoon of sauce over the top. Garnish with a mint leaf.
Microwave hot fudge sauce: In a medium microwavable bowl, mix together 1/4 cup heavy cream, 2 tablespoons milk, and 1/2 cup sugar. Microwave, uncovered on high for 2 minutes, stirring halfway through. Add two 1-ounce squares unsweetened chocolate and microwave on high for 30 seconds. Stir the melting chocolate into the mixture, then add the butter and almond extract. Stir to mix.
Stovetop sauce: Combine the ingredients in a double boiler over boiling water and cook and stir until the sauce thickens, about 8 to 10 minutes.
Recipe from “Pears,” by Linda West Eckhardt
Spicy preserved pear chutney
This spicy pear chutney sparks Indian entrees, Southern picnic suppers and sandwiches. About one quarter of the fruit by weight should be unripe for the best pectin development.
5 pounds Bartlett or Anjou pears, cored, peeled and coarsely chopped (about 10 medium pears)
21/4 cups (1 pound) packed light brown sugar
2 cups (1 pound) granulated sugar
22/3 cups (1 pound) golden raisins
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons mustard seed
2 tablespoons red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
1 tablespoon ground cumin
6 cups cider vinegar
Combine the pears with the brown and granulated sugar in a large, heavy nonaluminum pan over medium-low heat. Bring the mixture slowly to a boil, then cook until thick, stirring from time to time, about 2 hours.
Stir in all the remaining ingredients. Cover and bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer gently, uncovered, until the mixture is reduced to about 5 pints (see hint below), which will take about 1 hour.
Meanwhile, wash 5 pint jars. Keep hot until needed. Prepare lids as manufacturer directs.
Ladle the hot chutney into 1 hot jar at a time, leaving 1/2-inch head space. Attach lid. Fill and close remaining jars. Process in a boiling water canner for 10 minutes.
Recipe adapted from “Pears,” by Linda West Eckhardt
Cardamom and carmelized sugar enrich this soft spread with a distinctive and rather elegant flavor.
About 15 large, firm, ripe pears (71/2 pounds)
2 cups water
6 cups granulated sugar, divided
1 tablespoon ground cardamom
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon grated lemon peel
Wash 9 half-pint jars. Keep hot until needed. Prepare lids as manufacturer directs.
Wash and core but do not peel pears. Slice and put in a 5-quart nonaluminum pot. Add water, cover and cook over low heat for 30 minutes or until tender.
Let cool slightly and force the mixture through a food chopper or whirl in a food processor until finely chopped; return to kettle.
In a wide frying pan over heat, melt 1 1/2 cups of the sugar, stirring often, until it caramelizes to a medium brown syrup. Pour immediately into the pear pulp (syrup will sizzle and harden, but dissolve again as the preserves cook). Stir in remaining 41/2cups sugar, the cardamom and cinnamon, and stir until well-blended.
Bring mixture to a boil, reduce heat and cook, uncovered, for about 45 minutes or until thickened. To prevent sticking, stir frequently as mixture begins to thicken. Stir in lemon juice and lemon peel just before removing from heat.
Ladle the hot mixture into 1 hot jar at a time, leaving 1/4-inch head space. Wipe jar rim with a clean, damp cloth. Attach lid. Fill and close remaining jars. Process in a boiling-water canner for 10 minutes (15 minutes at 1,001 to 6,000 feet; 20 minutes above 6,000 feet). Yields 9 half-pints.
Adapted from Sunset’s “Canning, Freezing &Drying”
Jan Roberts-Dominguez is a Corvallis, Ore., food writer, cookbook author and artist. Readers can contact her by e-mail, at janrd@proaxis.com.
Linda Eckhardt’s “Pear” cookbook is a decade old, but some of the tips have yet to be improved on. Eckhardt writes, “Nothing is quite so elegant as a perfect pear, unadorned, sitting in the middle of a fine dessert plate and presented with only the proper cutlery. But sometimes we like to gild the lily – just a bit.” All of the following suggestions are for two servings:
* The best bottle of Sauternes you can find, a wedge of Roquefort and a perfect pear for each.
* Halve, core and peel two ripe Bartlett pears and place them on two dessert plates. Add a scoop or two of vanilla ice cream, drizzle with your favorite chocolate sauce and top with a dollop of sour cream. The combination of rich, sweet, sour, cold and dark tastes beats the heck out of a banana split.
* Core and peel two whole ripe Comice pears, then cut off the bottom so they’ll sit up straight. Drizzle them with eau-de-vie (pear brandy), top with vanilla ice cream and drizzle hot fudge sauce over it.
* Gouge out pear balls from a ripe Comice, Seckel and Bosc pears. Toss the balls with fresh mint leaves and champagne, then sprinkle with sugar and cognac to serve.
* Peel, core and section two ripe Comice pears, then dip them in chocolate sauce and serve. Or dip them in cognac. Add a dollop of vanilla ice cream.
* Core, peel and cut up one Bartlett pear, one banana, one apple, and one orange, then toss them with toasted coconut and fresh orange juice.
* Toss two cored and peeled ripe Bartlett or Comice pears in balsamic vinegar and pepper lightly.
* Cut two wedges of soft-ripe brie, place each on a bed of raspberries, and add half a ripe Bartlett pear to each serving. Offer thin-sliced French bread.
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