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Pearing up

The fall fruit that pairs well with sweet and savoury recipes

by LAURA LANGSTON

Delicious pears used to be called butter fruits because of their soft, butter-like flesh. Native to Asia, Europe and North Africa, this popular fruit is now grown and enjoyed all over the world.

Pears are rich in nutrients. They’re an excellent source of fibre and vitamin C, and they also contain potassium, phytonutrients and other antioxidants.

While there are more than 3,000 pear varieties, some are more common than others. The Bartlett (sometimes called Williams) pear is extremely juicy with the classic pear flavour. Bosc pears are crisp and woodsy with a honey sweetness. The Rocha variety is mild, moderately sweet and crunchy.

Firmer pear varieties, such as Bosc, are excellent for poaching, baking or grilling because their dense flesh holds shape when heated. They’re also good canned or in chutneys and jams, as is the slightly softer Bartlett variety, which is sometimes called the canning pear. Rocha is a little drier than some varieties, which makes it ideal for poaching, for lunchboxes and for storing.

Pears are incredibly versatile. Serve them with yogourt, granola or pancakes, or bake them into hearty muffins for breakfast. At lunch, add pears to a salad, turn them into pear and cheddar soup, or top crostini with pears, prosciutto and goat cheese. Pears add surprising depth to entrees, especially chicken and pork. They’re a natural dessert choice in cakes, crisps and pies.

Pears are harvested when they’re mature but not ripe. Leave firm, unripe pears at room temperature to ripen. Bartlett pears change from green to yellow when ripe, but most varieties don’t change colour. Check for ripeness every day by applying a little pressure to the neck or stem end of the pear. If it yields to pressure, it’s ripe and ready to eat. Once the pear is ripe, refrigerate and eat it within five days. If you find yourself with a few too many ripe pears, blend them into smoothies, soups, sauces or purées.