Nature’s Edible Art – The Autumn Pear

The curvaceous pear.

Like the apple, there are so many varieties of pears and selecting the right one for snacking, baking, poaching or cooking with is instrumental in the culinary experience you are creating. Besides their varying juicy and sweet flavors, I adore the shapes and variations of colors they come in. Their thick, woody stems are rustic and, to me, symbolize a strength in the fruit.

One of our pear trees has already gifted us with several beautiful pears this season. The trick is, how to tell when they are ripe and ready to harvest. Pears don’t ripen on the tree. You pick them when they’re “mature.” If left on the tree, the pear will start to ripen from the inside-out and by the time you start to judge it from the outside (like other fruit) that it’s ready to pick, it’s too late! If the pear’s texture is mushy and grainy, it ripened from the inside-out.

To better determine when a pear is ready, take the fruit in your hand and gently pull up and tilt it horizontally (don’t tug on it). If the fruit easily breaks off, it’s ready. Now the fruit will start to ripen properly and within about a week it’s ready for you to enjoy!

• Homemade Pear Preserves
• Homemade Pear and Apple Butter
• Autumn Seckel Pears (photography)
• Baked Apple Chips and Pear Chips
• Nature’s Gifts: Forelle Pears (photography)
• Pear and Walnut Muffins
• Caramelized Rum Pears