Fresh Pick: Pears 101
Welcome back to Fresh Picks, where we celebrate the seasonal ingredients we can’t get enough of. We've highlighted eggplant, talked about how peaches are not the pits and played shishito pepper roulette. This month, we're turning our attention to one of fall's most beloved fruits: pears.
Pears have a reputation problem. Their unusual shape makes them stand out among the neatly spherical produce at the market, while a lifetime of middling supermarket specimens can make it easy to forget just how spectacular a truly good pear can be.
But at their best, pears are among the most delicious fruits around. They manage to be sweet without being cloying, intensely perfumed and floral and boast flesh that practically melts in your mouth.
Though you can find pears year-round in grocery stores, seeking them out at farmers’ markets in peak season is well worth the effort. Pears thrive in temperate climates, with harvest in the Northern Hemisphere beginning in late summer and continuing through autumn and, for some varieties, into winter. Unlike many fruits, pears are generally picked while still firm and allowed to ripen off the tree, which explains both their impressive staying power and the occasional rock-hard specimen languishing in your fruit bowl.
Thought to have originated millions of years ago in China before spreading westward across Asia and into Europe, pears now have two distinct styles: the firmer, crunchy Asian style and the soft-fleshed European one. European pears are generally the soft, melting kind familiar in American and European cooking.
The softer varieties are ideal for eating out of hand, slicing into winter salads or pairing with cheese and other savory ingredients for an elegant snack platter. Firmer European pears are particularly well suited to cooking because they hold their shape under heat. We’re into roasting wedges to serve alongside pork in place of the standard apple accompaniment, or baking them into simple skillet cakes. Pears have a particular affinity for autumnal flavors, too. Think: thin slices with endive, toasted walnuts and blue cheese, or a whole poached pear blanketed with warm chocolate sauce.
Varieties of Pears
If you hail from North America, the pear in your mind is probably a Bartlett. In Britain, where the variety was first discovered in the late 18th century, you’ll know it as Williams’ Bon Chrétien, or simply Williams. (Same pear, different passport.)
But Bartlett is only the beginning. D’Anjou pears are juicy and mild, withstanding ripening without going soft. Long-necked Bosc pears have firm flesh that makes them particularly handy for cooking. Comice are exceptionally lush and sweet, the ones to break out alongside a serious cheese board. Conference, instantly recognizable by its elongated shape and russeted skin, is a British supermarket stalwart. Tiny Seckels deliver a comical amount of sweetness for their size. Meanwhile, Asian pears offer an entirely different flavor profile: crisp, refreshing and juicy.
How to Buy and Store Pears
To tell if a pear is ripe, press gently at the neck near the stem rather than squeezing the widest part of the fruit. If it gives slightly, it’s ready to eat. Let firm pears ripen at room temperature, then refrigerate for a few days. Keep them unwashed and handle them gently, since ripe pears bruise easily.
3 Delicious Pear Recipes
1. Cranberry-Pear Oat Crumble
A lightly spiced mix of cranberries and pears is the kind of sweet-tart combination you’ll want to repeat all season. Here, Bosc or Bartlett pears mingle with their peak-season friend in a crumble that’s equally at home on the Thanksgiving sideboard or at a casual weeknight dinner party. Use pears that are ripe but still firm so the fruit keeps some shape instead of collapsing into mush. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or crème anglaise.
2. Fennel and Pear Stuffing
A single chopped pear takes this rich holiday favorite from one-note to sophisticated, mingling it with leeks, fennel, sage, rosemary and thyme in a classic stuffing made to sit alongside turkey. If you want to make it vegetarian, simply swap vegetable broth for the chicken broth.
3. Dutch Stewed Pears (Stoofperen)
Keep this poached pear recipe in your back pocket for a dead-simple dessert that still feels special. This Dutch rendition mixes red wine, orange and Christmas-y spices to infuse each bite with deep, fragrant flavor. “Pear” it with ice cream: Vanilla is the classic move, but salted caramel or rum raisin would be excellent, too.
To sum up: Anyone who thinks going “pear-shaped” is a bad thing should reconsider.
