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Fresh Pear Tips and Recipes
By Brenda Hyde
 I remember picking fresh pears
and apples from our orchard we had on the farm when I was growing up. What I
wouldn't give to do that now! There are over 3,000 known varieties of pears,
but only a handful are shipped to produce markets.
Pears will ripen after picking by keeping them on a
counter in a bowl or a paper sack. Choose pears that are fresh looking, without
bruises or other bad spots. Check the ripeness by squeezing gently near the
stem, they should give in to light pressure. You don't want them to be mushy,
or too soft near the middle of the pear though. Once ripe, store them in the
refrigerator, but away from onions and potatoes.
Pear Honey
Ingredients:
2
cups peeled, crushed pears
3 cups sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1 lemon or
orange, ground up
Combine all ingredients, and cook in a heavy pan,
stirring occasionally, for about 15 minutes or until it reaches a spreading
consistency. Pour into hot sterilized jars and seal. Makes 2 1/2
pints.
Ginger Pear Pie
Ingredients:
unbaked 9"
pie shell
3/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons flour
3/4 cup ground
ginger
1/4 tsp. salt
3 ripe pears
2 tablespoons soft butter
2 eggs,
separated
1 tsp. grated lemon peel, yellow only
3 tablespoon lemon
juice
3/4 cup milk
Combine 1/4 cup of the sugar, 1 tablespoon flour,
ginger and the salt. Sprinkle this mixture in the pie shell. Peel and core the
pears. Slice them thinly and lay the slices over the sugar mixture. Cream butter
until light, and add the remaining 1/2 cup sugar and 1 tablespoon flour. Mix in
the egg yolks, lemon peel and the juice. Beat mixture until mixed. Beat the egg
whites until stiff. Fold into the lemon mixture. Pour over the pears in the pie
shell. Bake pie in a 425 degree oven for 10 minutes, then lower heat to 350
degrees. Bake 30 minutes more. Cool on rack.
Pears With Raspberry
Sauce
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups
water
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
3 peeled, ripe pears, halved
1 package
frozen raspberries, defrosted
1 tsp. cornstarch
Combine the water and
sugar in a saucepan and boil five minutes. Add the vanilla and pears. Simmer
until the pears are tender. Drain and chill. Combine the raspberries with 1
tablespoon sugar. Mix the cornstarch with two tablespoons cold water and combine
with the raspberries. Simmer about three minutes and mash the mixture through a
sieve. Chill. Spoon the sauce over the pears and sprinkle with crushed nuts if
desired.
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