A favorite fall and winter fruit, pears are enjoyed for their juicy, sweet flavor and tender texture.
Pear Varieties:
Anjou pears come in a variety of fall colors, from light green to yellow-green to red. Anjou pears, with their squat shape, are firm and have a mealy texture. They are juicy with a sweet-spicy flavor. These pears do not change color upon ripening. Eat fresh or use in salads and desserts.
Asian pears have a less traditional pear shape and more of an apple shape. They are firm and juicy with an apple-pear flavor. These pears, also known as Chinese pears and apple pears, have a crunchy texture. Eat fresh or use in salads or for baking.
Bartlett pears are all-purpose pears with the classic pear shape. They are smooth with green skins that turn buttery yellow when ripe. Bartletts can also be red but they do not change color with ripening. When ripe, Bartlett pears have a juicy, sweet flavor and a pleasant aroma. Excellent for eating fresh and using in salads and desserts.
Bosc pears have a slender shape with a longer top and a long, thin stem. They have a mottled tan-gold color with a subtle nutty flavor and buttery texture. Use for baking and poaching, as well as for eating fresh.
Comice pears are short and squat with a greenish yellow color and red blush when ripe. Their sweet, juicy flesh and buttery texture make them best for eating fresh.
Forelle pears are small with a bell shape. Green before ripening, these pears turn a golden yellow with a red blush when ripe. Sweet and juicy, Forelle pears are great eaten fresh or for salads and desserts.
Seckel pears are petite red or red and green pears. Sometimes even small enough to be bite-size, these tiny pears have a sweet flavor that makes them ideal for snacking or using in appetizers and desserts.
All about pears:
Look for firm or hard unripe pears with no bruises or cuts and with stems that are in place. Pears are one of a handful of fruits that are actually better if ripened after picking and it’s better to ripen pears at home rather than purchasing them ripe.
Store hard, unripe pears in a paper bag or in a covered fruit bowl at room temperature. Check daily for ripeness. You can also refrigerate unripe pears until you are ready to ripen them; then keep at room temperature. You cannot test ripeness by color because some varieties will not change color after picking. To check for ripeness of a pear, gently press the stem end of the pear with your thumb, If it yields to pressure, it’s ripe. To keep ripe pears longer, refrigerate them 3 to 5 days after ripening.
To prepare pears for cooking, use a vegetable peeler to remove the thin skin. To halve pears, cut in half lengthwise and remove the core with a small knife or melon baller. If you want to poach pears or stuff whole pears, use a melon baller to remove the core from the bottom of the pear, leaving the pear intact. Brush sliced pears that will not be immediately eaten with a little lemon juice to prevent browning. A medium pear will give you about 1 cup sliced.
Pears are healthy with only 100 calories each and a low glycemic index (meaning the carbohydrates in pears convert slowly to sugar). A medium pear (about the size of an adult fist) is a good source of dietary fiber, providing 16% of the recommended daily allowance. Pears are a good source of Vitamin C. This antioxidant promotes healing and boosts the immune system. Pears are a good source of potassium, an important mineral in heart health, nerve and muscle function.
Pear Crostata
A crostata is an Italian baked tart. It has been known by various names throughout Italy, including coppi in Naples and sfogliate in Lombardy.
Servings: 12
If you don’t have a food processor, you can use the paddle attachment of an electric mixer, a pastry cutter or two forks to cut the cold butter into the cornmeal-flour mixture. Make sure that you choose a fine grade of cornmeal or polenta (not a coarse brand) for best results. And, you can make the pastry ahead, store it in the refrigerator, sealed in a plastic bag, for up to a week. Let it warm up before rolling it out.
Pastry Ingredients
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
- 3/4 cup fine cornmeal or polenta
- 2 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1 large egg
- 1/3 cup water
Filling Ingredients
- 2 1/2 pounds ripe pears (any kind, or a mixture)
- 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons Amaretto Liqueur
- 2 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
- Dash of salt
To make the pastry:
Combine the walnuts, cornmeal, flour, sugar and salt in a food processor fitted with the steel blade and pulse until the walnuts are ground into a coarse meal. Pour the olive oil on top of the dry ingredients in the food processor.
Run the machine in a few long pulses, until the oil is evenly distributed and the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add the egg and pulse once or twice—just until it is incorporated—then pulse in enough water to bring the dough together. Remove the dough from the food processor, gather it together and knead lightly into one ball.
Break the dough into two pieces, approximately 2/3 and 1/3. Form each piece into a ball and flatten each ball into a thick disk. On a lightly floured surface, roll the larger piece of dough into a 13-inch circle, about 1/8-inch thick. Ease it into a 10-inch tart pan with a removable bottom and trim the edges.
Roll out the smaller disc into a 10 inch circle and cut into strips about 1/2-inch wide. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375°F.
To make the filling:
Peel the fruit and cut it into thin slices Transfer the slices to a medium-sized bowl and drizzle with the lemon juice and amaretto. Sprinkle with the flour and salt and toss to coat.
Spread the fruit into the crust. Arrange the strips of dough on top in a criss-cross pattern, then push the ends of the strips into the edges of the bottom crust to hold them in place. (You might need to wet them a little to make them stick.)
Place the filled tart on a baking pan and bake in the lower half of the oven for about 45 minutes, or until golden on the top and around the edges.
Cool for at least 15 minutes before removing the rim of the pan and serving the tart. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Italian Pear Cake
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 cup thinly sliced peeled pear
- 8 pecan halves
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup butter, softened
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
- 1/3 cup low-fat sour cream
- 1/2 cup low-fat milk
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Place butter in a 9-inch round cake pan; place the pan in the oven until the butter melts. Remove pan from oven.
Sprinkle brown sugar evenly over the bottom of the pan. Arrange pear slices and pecan halves in a decorative pattern over the sugar. Set aside.
Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl. Beat sugar, butter, egg and extracts with a mixer at medium speed until well blended. Add sour cream and half of flour mixture; beat well. Add remaining flour mixture and milk; beat well. Pour batter over pear slices, spreading gently.
Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack 5 minutes.
Run a sharp knife around edge of pan to loosen cake. Place a serving plate upside-down over pan; invert cake onto serving plate. Serve warm or cool completely.
Coconut-Streusel Pear Pie
Refrigerated Pastry for single-crust pie (9 inches)
Filling:
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 6 cups sliced peeled fresh pears
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Topping:
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 4 teaspoons cold butter
- 1/3 cup flaked coconut
Directions
Line a 9-inch pie plate with pastry; trim and flute edges. Heat oven to at 400° F.
In a large saucepan, combine the sugar, flour and salt. Add pears and lemon juice. Cook and stir over medium heat for 4-5 minutes or until thickened. Pour into pastry.
For topping, in a small bowl, combine sugar and flour. Cut in butter until crumbly. Stir in coconut; sprinkle over top.
Bake for 20-25 minutes or until filling is bubbly and topping is lightly browned.
Cool on a wire rack. Yield: 8 servings.
Red Wine Oven Poached Pears
Ingredients
- 4-6 peeled, cored pears (recommend Bosc or Anjou)
- 2-3 cups of red wine (recommend Zinfandel or Merlot)
- 3/4 cups of granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons of lemon juice (can also add lemon zest, if desired)
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon
Directions
Combine 2 cups of the wine and all the remaining ingredients, except the pears, in an ovenproof deep pan that will hold the pears snugly and bring to a boil. Turn off the heat and set aside.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Peel the pears but leave the stems on and remove the core from the bottom. Place the pears upright in the pan with the wine mixture. The pears should be covered by the liquid, if not add the remaining cup of wine.
Bring the wine mixture to a simmer on the stovetop and, then, place the pan in the oven.
Bake for 1 hour, basting every 15 minutes. The pears should darken to a rich mahogany color as they cook.
When the pears are done (still firm but easily pierced with a fork), remove them from the oven.
The liquid in the baking dish should be syrupy. If you would like the sauce thicker, remove the pears to a serving bowl and cook the wine mixture until it is reduced, slightly thick.
Place the pears in individual serving bowls and cover with syrup. Serve with either sweetened mascarpone cheese, crème fraiche or whipped cream.
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Recent studies have shown that the skin on pears contains at least three to four times as many phytonutrients as the flesh. These phytonutrients include antioxidant, anti-inflammatory flavonoids, and potentially anti-cancer phytonutrients like cinnamic acids. The skin of the pear has also been shown to contain about half of the pear’s total dietary fiber.
In recent studies measuring risk of type 2 diabetes in U.S. women, pears have earned very special recognition. Researchers now know that certain flavonoids in food can improve insulin sensitivity. All pears contain flavonoids and the flavonoids in pears have been associated with decreased risk of type 2 diabetes in both women and men. However, a new analysis of the Nurses’ Health Study has shown that of all the fruits and vegetables analyzed for their flavonoid content, the combination of apples/pears showed the most consistent ability to lower risk of type 2 diabetes.
Pears are one of the world’s oldest cultivated fruits. In 5,000 B.C., Feng Li, a Chinese diplomat, began grafting peaches, almonds, persimmons, pears and apples as a commercial venture. In The Odyssey, the Greek poet laureate Homer lauds pears as a “gift of the gods.” Pomona, goddess of fruit, was a cherished member of the Roman Pantheon and Roman farmers documented extensive pear growing and grafting techniques.
Thanks to their versatility and long storage life, pears were a valuable and much-desired commodity among the trading routes of the ancient world. Evident in the works of the Renaissance Masters, pears have long been an elegant still-life model for artists. In the 17th century a major increase in cultivation of the present pear varieties took place in Europe. And in popular culture, the pear tree was immortalized alongside a partridge in the 18th-century Christmas carol, The Twelve Days of Christmas.
Early colonists brought the first pear trees to America’s eastern settlements where they thrived until crop blights proved too severe to sustain widespread cultivation. Fortunately, the pear trees brought west to Oregon and Washington by pioneers in the 1800’s thrived in the unique agricultural conditions found in the Pacific Northwest.
Pear Picking Near Medford, 1910
Today’s Northwest pear varieties are the same or similar to those first cultivated in France and Belgium where they were prized for their delicate flavor, buttery texture, and long storage life. As more sophisticated irrigation and growing techniques developed during the past century, pear orchards flourished dramatically in the Northwest’s river valley regions located in a serpentine sprawl from Northern Central Washington to Central Southern Oregon.
Today, pear orchards in Oregon and Washington are as specialized as the regions that support them. Organic, commercial and multi-generation family orchards all contribute high-quality fruit to the Northwest’s fresh pear industry. Consumer interest and enjoyment of Northwest pears grows each year. Thanks to advancements in Controlled Atmosphere (CA) storage technology, fresh USA Pears are available to consumers nearly year-round.
There are many different types of pears. The most commonly known are Bosc, Bartlett, and Anjou.
Bosc pears are the large, slender pears with a rough brown skin. They hold their shape very well when cooked, so are an excellent choice for baked dishes.
Bosc
Barlett pears have rounded globes with soft and tender skin. They come in red and yellow varieties. They are perfect for eating out of hand because they are tender and juicy.
Barlett
Anjou pears, which are either red or green, are juicy and sweet, good for baking or eating fresh.
Anjou
The expensive and hard-to-find Comice is considered the best tasting, juiciest pear.
Comice
Seckel pears are tasty and very tiny, perfect for using in centerpieces.
Seckel
French Butter pears are hard to find but very tender, just like their name.
French Butter
To ripen pears just let them sit on the counter for a day or two; when they yield to gentle pressure they are ready to eat. Most pear varieties do not change color as they ripen; the yield test is the only way to tell if they are ready or not.
Pears can be served during any course of a dinner menu. Try some of the recipes below to see how versatile they can be.
Pear and Cranberry Cocktail
Use a high quality pear vodka, such as Grey Goose.
Makes 4 drinks
Ingredients:
- 2 cups cranberry juice
- 3/4 cups pear vodka
- 1/4 cup Triple Sec
- juice of 1 lime
- ice
- Fresh pear slices
- Fresh mint
Directions:
Add cranberry juice, pear vodka, triple sec and lime juice to a pitcher, stir to combine.
Fill 4 glasses with ice, pour cocktail over ice and garnish with a fresh pear slice and a mint sprig.
Appetizer Course
Pear and Prosciutto “Carpaccio”
Serves 2
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1 red Bartlett pear, cored, halved, and thinly sliced
- 2 ounces very thinly sliced prosciutto
- Freshly ground black pepper
Directions:
In a small saucepan, bring vinegar to a boil; cook, stirring occasionally, until syrupy and reduced to 2 tablespoons, about 5 minutes.
Divide the pear slices between two plates, arranging them in a circular pattern; top with prosciutto. Drizzle with balsamic syrup as desired, and season with pepper.
First Course
Risotto with Fresh Pear Sauce
Servings 4
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 cups Carnaroli or Arborio rice
- 1 onion
- 3 cups vegetable stock
- 2 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces
- 1 oz grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
- extra virgin olive oil to taste
- salt and pepper to taste
Pear Sauce
- 1 small clove of garlic
- 2 sprigs marjoram
- 2 cups vegetable stock
- extra virgin olive oil to taste
- salt and pepper to taste
- 3 pears plus sliced pear for garnish
Directions:
To make the sauce:
Peel the pears and cut into small pieces. Peel and finely chop the garlic. Wash the marjoram and pull off the leaves.
Place a skillet over medium heat. Add the oil and, once hot, add the pear. Saute for a couple of minutes. Season with salt and pepper, then add the garlic and marjoram. Cover with the broth and cook until the pears are soft.
Remove the pan from the heat. Let the pears cool, then puree the pan contents using a blender. Adjust the salt and pepper and keep the sauce warm until serving.
To make the risotto:
Peel and chop the onion.
Place a pot over medium heat. Add the oil and, once hot, add the onion.
Cook slowly so that it doesn’t brown. Add the rice and toast it for a couple of minutes or until it becomes transparent. Add a pinch of salt.
Add a couple of ladlefuls of broth to the rice. Once most of the liquid has evaporated, add more broth.
The rice should take about 16 to 18 minutes to cook, depending on its quality. When al dente, remove the pot from the heat and add half the cheese and all the butter. Stir and cover. Let rest for two minutes.
Then add the remaining cheese. Stir until creamy. Pour the pear sauce into the bottom of the individual bowls and spoon the risotto on top.
Garnish with a slice of pear, a sprig of marjoram and a grating or fresh black pepper.
Second Course
Italian Braised Pork Loin with Pears
Serves 6
Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons coarse salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon ground fennel
- 1/2 teaspoon ground (dry) mustard
- 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1 boneless pork loin, about 2 pounds, tied
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cups dry white wine, such as Sauvignon Blanc
- 2 bay leaves
- 15 small carrots, peeled, trimmed if desired
- 15 pearl onions
- 3 parsnips sliced into 15 pieces, trimmed and peeled
- 3 garlic cloves, crushed with the flat side of a large knife
- 6 red Anjou pears
Directions:
Combine salt and spices. Coat pork with the spice mixture, and let stand at room temperature 30 minutes.
Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add oil. Add pork to pot. Sear pork until golden, turning with tongs, about 2 minutes per side. Stir in wine and bay leaves, scraping bottom of pot to loosen browned bits. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low. Partially cover, and simmer, basting meat with cooking liquid several times, 25 minutes. Remove pork from pot, and set aside.
Stir in carrots, onions, parsnips, and garlic. Simmer, uncovered, 10 minutes. Make a well in center; return pork to pot. Quarter and core pears. Add pears, and simmer until pears are tender and a meat thermometer inserted into center of pork registers 145 degrees for medium, about 15 minutes. Let rest in pot 5 to 10 minutes before slicing. Transfer the vegetables and pears to a platter with the sliced pork. Pour sauce through a fine sieve into a bowl; pour over pork.
Dessert
Italian Pear Tart
Yield – 10 inch tart
Almond Pastry Crust
Ingredients:
- 1 cup flour
- 1/4 cup finely ground blanched almonds or almond flour
- 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter (or Smart Balance Baking Blend), very-cold, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons ice water, very cold
Place ingredients in work bowl of a processor and process the ingredients until the dough forms a ball. (Add a little more ice water if the dough doesn’t form a ball.) Pat into a cylinder, wrap in plastic wrap and chill for an hour.
Tart Ingredients:
- 1 tart crust
- 5 pears, quartered, cored, peeled, and sliced
- 2/3 cup sugar, divided or 1/3 cup light sugar alternative
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons amaretto liquor
Tart Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 10 inch glass pie plate.
Prepare the crust: Roll out the pastry on a floured surface and trim to fit the pie pan.
Poke the bottom and sides of the dough with a fork. Bake the crust approx 7-10 mins until lightly brown.
While pastry is baking do the following:
Slice pears thin and mix with half of the sugar and all the lemon juice.
Arrange pears over the crust in an attractive design (reserve 5 pear slices for glaze).
Bake until the pears are tender, about 40 minutes.
The Glaze:
While the tart is cooking bring remaining sugar, reserved pear slices, and 1/3 cup water to a boil in a small saucepan. Reduce heat to maintain a steady simmer and cook until the syrup thickens and the pear slices break down. (about 10 minutes) Take the syrup off the burner, set it aside and let it cool. Stir in the amaretto and brush over the pears. Cool.
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