Food For Thought© Pears                

By Arlene Correll

All paintings by Arlene Correll

Pears were not part of our diet when I was a child.  Matter of fact I can only remember once when my father brought home a brown paper bag full of pears as

a gift for us kids. They were small brownish green pears. I don’t remember what they were called. Perhaps, Seckel or something similar.

Fall is here now and the markets abound with fall fruit and especially all types of pears.  It is believed that pears were used as food by Stone Age people.  The ancestor of today’s popular pear varieties are from regions in southeastern Europe and western Asia.

The first pear tree was planted in America in 1620.  In the early 1700’s, pears were nicknamed "butter fruit" because of their soft, melting texture.

Pears are one of the world's oldest cultivated and beloved fruits. In 5,000 B.C., Feng Li, a Chinese diplomat, abandoned his responsibilities when he became consumed by 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 Renaissance Masters, pears have long been an elegant still-life muse for artists. In the 17th century a great flourishing of modern pear variety cultivation began taking 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.

 

The earliest reference to the use of pears for making a fermented drink was by Pliny who said that the Falernian variety, being very juicy, was used for making wine. Palladius, in the 4th century, wrote of pears being used like apples to make both a drink and a sauce and said that the Romans preferred wine made from pears to that from apples. He also gave instruction on how to make perry, then called Castomoniale.

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. 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.

Basically, pears are available 12 months of the year.  Pear season peaks from August through December with each variety having its own peak season.

The variety of pears is many.  Matter of fact there are more than 3,000 varieties of pears, but the Bartlett pear is the most popular. Anjou, Bosc, Comice and Asian pears are a few of the other varieties you’ll see in the stores.  They come in different shapes, colors and flavors and are sweet and juicy.

Today pears are available all year round. A surprising fact is that pears are a member of the rose family.  More than 95% of the pears sold in the United States are grown in Washington, Oregon and Northern California.  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.

I remember a driving trip Carl and I took in that area 2 years ago. We went into Yakima Valley.  The plentiful water and light, fertile soil of the agricultural-rich Yakima Valley supports thousands of acres of NW Pear trees. The growing regions in Washington share their volcanic influences from Mt. Baker and Mt. Rainier. It is an amazing place.

Pears are a great source of vitamin C and fiber. In fact, one medium pear has 10% of the vitamin C our bodies need every day for good health. Just one medium pear has 16% of the fiber our bodies need every day for good health. Like other fruits and vegetables, pears are low in calories and have no fat, cholesterol, or sodium. These should be popular food for your diet.

When pears are perfectly ripe—not too soft and not too firm, they are the most delicious of fruits. The juice from a pear is thick and sweet and can be diluted with apple juice. They are high in thiamin, riboflavin, niacin and folic acid which help establish a healthy cardiovascular system. They are also a good source of vitamin C, calcium, potassium, phosphorus and minerals. Levulose is the fruit sugar in pears which is easily tolerated by diabetics and as a diabetic, these are one of the fruits I can enjoy all year round.

Pears are higher in pectin than apples, which encourage regularity. Common varieties are Bartlett, Bosc, Anjou and Comice. The sweetest and juiciest are the Bartletts with their bright yellow skin. Bartletts are available from summer to fall.  Look for slightly soft flesh around the stem area.

Our late son, Fred and I planted some dwarf pear trees here at Home Farm in 1999 and we just had our first big harvest from one of those trees this year.  Pear trees can live 100 years, but they are usually replaced in the orchards after 30 or 40 years. This allows them to produce the most and the best tasting fruit each year.

In early spring, pear trees are pollinated by flowers from another kind of pear tree. Many times, bee hives are placed in orchards to increase pollination. The pear trees normally bloom a bit earlier in the spring than apple trees do.

Once pear trees are planted, it takes from 5 to 7 years to eat the first piece of fruit, so if you are thinking about planting pear trees, get cracking!  I can think of nothing more rewarding than planting fruit trees.  What a great gift to leave on this planet for the next guy.

Pear trees need rest during winter months so they can flower and fruit properly. When they are resting, the trees are pruned and prepared for the next growing period.

For growth, pear trees need rich volcanic soil and plenty of water. During the growing season, pear orchards also need warm days and cool nights.

Pears ripen better off the tree and from the inside out.  One can ripen pears in a brown paper bag at room temperature.  When I buy pears, I keep them in the fruit and vegetable bin in my refrigerator and then take out one or two and let them ripen in the fruit bowl until they are the consistency that I like.

As I said before, Bartlett pears are the most popular pear and they are used for dried pear products and canning. 60% of all the Bartlett pears sold in the United States come from California.
We watch our trees and pick when we think it is time. However, like everything else, harvesting pears is a science. Different varieties of pears ripen at different times of the year. But most pears are harvested from August through December.

Before harvesting pears, the sugar level, firmness and skin color are tested. Since pears do not ripen on the tree, they are picked when they are still green in color.  When pears are ready for harvest, they are picked by hand, and gently placed in special bins to help avoid bruising.

From the field, pears are transported to a cold storage facility, where the fruit is cooled to slow down the ripening process. It can take three to five weeks for some pears to reach the right temperature.  After pears are cooled down, they are sorted by size and graded. During this process, pears are transported in water so they don’t get bruised. 

Next, at the processing plant, pears are hand-packed into boxes by carefully placing the fruit into plastic lined cartons.  The boxes of pears are then stacked onto pallets and stored in a cold storage facility until they are shipped to your local market.

You can't depend on a color to tell you when a pear is ripe. Bartlett's will turn from green to yellow. Some red varieties turn from dark red to bright red, but others remain dark red. Winter pears: Anjou, Bosc, Comice and others, change very little from their un-ripened color, or not at all. D'Anjou pears do not turn yellow when ripe. Instead, their color will turn from a dark green to a lighter shade of green. Better to depend on the easy thumb-test, and know you are right!

Remember that pears ripen from the inside out, so the exterior may be a bit firm, though they are actually soft on the inside.  Before eating pears, check to see if they’re ripe using the thumb test. All you need to do is gently press your thumb near the stem end of the fruit. If it is slightly soft, then you know it’s ripe! Now just wash your pear in cold water and it’s ready to eat

I personally like to slice a pear in half or quarter into bite-size pieces to remove the core and seeds. Then I am ready to enjoy juicy and sweet-tasting pears!-

Asian Pears are a fruit I have developed a fondness for over the years.  I never tried one until 1988.  Once reserved as a food to be served only to the wealthy and to Chinese nobles, Asian pears have been grown, cultivated, and eaten for centuries. Little is known about their origin... it's estimated that they began appearing at least 3,000 years ago in China.
Some varieties spread westward, and those ended up looking and tasting more like the pears with which most people are familiar. The varieties that spread eastward, however, took on more of an apple-like shape and a crisper quality, and those became the Asian pears we know today. They were first introduced to Americans on the West Coast by Chinese migrant workers during the 1850s. Even today, this region - California and Oregon, in particular - remains the largest Asian pear producing region of our country. At first, trees were grown from seeds found in the fruit, and their quality was widely varied. It wasn't until the early 1900s, when pomologists began mastering crossing techniques, that reliable; high-quality Asian pears were grown in the U.S. In the 1980s, there was a sudden increase in demand for Asian pears brought on by the increasing population of immigrant Americans in the U.S. and Canada.

Asian pears are also known as apple pears, Chinese or Japanese pears, Oriental pears, or Nashi (Japanese word for "pear") pears. Marino Lookout Farm is one of the only Asian pear growers on the East Coast.

Asian pears are a great source of dietary fiber, and they're also very high in potassium and other essential minerals. They contain nearly 10% of the USRDA for Vitamin C, and a high concentration of folates, which make up the Vitamin B complex group. These vitamins are essential for metabolic activity and red blood cell production.

General Recommendations for Canning Fruit:

PACK - All fruit to within 1/2 inch to top of jar.

RAW PACK - Fill jar 11/2 inches from top with syrup, fruit juice or water.

HOT PACK - Fill jar 1/2 inch from top with syrup, fruit juice or water.

TO PREVENT DARKENING OF FRUIT DURING PREPARATION Drop in mild salt solution of 11/2 teaspoons of salt to 1 quart cold water.

ADDING ASCORBIC ACID The addition of Ascorbic acid (Vitamin C) to light colored fruits at the time of canning will help prevent discoloration. Tablet or crystalline form may be used. Put 5 tablets of 50 milligrams in bottom of each quart jar before packing fruit; or add 1/2 teaspoon of crystalline Ascorbic acid to each quart of the syrup before pouring over fruit in jars, or use commercial Ascorbic and Citric acid mixture following manufacturer's directions.

CANNING FRUIT WITHOUT SUGAR - HONEY or CORN SYRUP may be used instead of sugar. Replace not more than half the sugar with white corn syrup or honey. If more is used the flavor of corn syrup or honey may be more pronounced than the fruit flavors.

 
Canning PEARS

REMOVE peel, core and cut into halves or quarters. If peeled fruit is to stand several minutes before precooking, drop into mild salt solution to prevent discoloration. Drain.

RAW PACK: If pears are ripe enough to be quite soft, they may be packed raw to within 1/2 inch of top of jar. Fill to within 11/2 inches of top of jar with boiling syrup. Put on cap, screw band firmly tight.

HOT PACK: Boil 3 to 5 minutes in thin or medium syrup. Pack into Kerr jars to within 1/2 inch of top. If desired, add 1 teaspoon lemon juice to each quart. Fill to within 1/2 inch of top of jar with boiling syrup. Put on cap, screw band firmly tight.

Process: Pints 25 minutes
Quarts 30 minutes
Boiling Water Bath

PEAR CONSERVE

5 pounds firm pears (15 cups sliced) 10 cups sugar
2 cups seedless raisins 1/2 cup orange rind (cut fine)
1 cup orange juice 4 tablespoons lemon juice

PEEL pears and cut in small pieces. Add sugar and let stand overnight. Then add raisins, orange rind cut in small pieces, and juice of oranges and lemons. Cook until thick, about

30-35 minutes. Pour into sterilized Kerr jars to within 1/2 inch of top. Put on cap, screw band firmly tight. Process in Boiling Water Bath 10 minutes. Yield: 12 eight oz. jars.

PEAR AMBER MARMALADE

2 oranges 4 pounds pears (9 cups, diced)
2 cups canned crushed pineapple Sugar (See below - Add half as much sugar (drained) as fruit mixture
4 tablespoons lemon juice 1 8-oz. bottle maraschino cherries
(thinly sliced)

WASH and remove peel from oranges. Add 1 quart of water to peel and boil 5 minutes. Drain and discard water. Add another quart of water, boil 5 minutes. Drain and discard water. Grind the peel and the peeled oranges together. Wash, pare and remove core of pears, cut into small pieces. Combine oranges, pears and pineapple. Measure. Add half as much sugar as fruit mixture. Add lemon juice and mix thoroughly. Cook rapidly until almost thick (about 40 minutes), stirring occasionally. Add cherries and cook about 5 minutes longer. Pour into sterilized Kerr jars to within 1/2 inch of top. Put on cap, screw band firmly tight. Process in Boiling Water Bath 10 minutes. Yield: 6 eight oz. jars.

PEAR HONEY

3 pounds ripe pears (9 cups) 1 cup crushed pineapple
Grated rind and juice of 5 cups sugar
1 fresh lime

WASH, pare and core the pears; slice before measuring. Put through a food chopper using the fine blade. Combine pears and pineapple. Add the lime rind and juice. Add sugar and cook over slow heat, stirring frequently. Cook for 20 minutes. Pour into sterilized Kerr jars to within 1/4 inch of top. Put on cap, screw band firmly tight. Process in Boiling Water Bath 10 minutes. Yield: 8 eight oz. jars.

PEAR-TART APPLE JAM

4 cups diced pears 4 cups diced tart apples
5 tablespoons lemon juice 5 cups sugar
Grated rind of 1 lemon

PEEL and dice fruit. Mix all ingredients thoroughly. Boil about 20 minutes. Take from heat and allow to stand for 10 minutes to plump. Bring back to boil stirring frequently until mixture is thick and clear (about 10 minutes). Pour into sterilized Kerr jars to within 1/4 inch of top. Put on cap, screw band firmly tight. Process in Boiling Water Bath 10 minutes. Yield: 8 eight oz. jars.

PEAR PRESERVES

  • 3 quarts pears (sliced or chopped) 
  • 3 cups water or juice
  • 4 1/2 cups sugar 
  • 6 slices of lemon (optional)

PARE fruit (if hard, cook until tender in water). Make syrup of liquid and sugar, add fruit to partly cooled syrup and bring gently to boil. Add lemon. Boil rapidly until clear and tender. Let stand in syrup to cool. Reheat syrup to boiling. Pour fruit and boiling syrup into sterilized Kerr jars to within 1/2 inch of top. Put on cap, screw band firmly tight. Process in Boiling Water Bath 10 minutes. Yield: 10 eight oz. jars.

PEAR HONEY PRESERVES

  • 4 cups pears (peeled, chopped) 
  • 3 cups sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt 
  • 1 lemon (ground)

COMBINE all ingredients and cook in kettle, stirring occasionally about 15 minutes or until of spreading consistency. Pour into sterilized Kerr half-pint jars to within 1/2 inch of top. Screw band down firmly

PICKLED PEACHES or PEARS

  • 1 quart vinegar 
  • 6 pounds sugar (12 cups)
  • 12 pounds peeled fruit (6 quarts)

MAKE a syrup of the vinegar and sugar and add a spice bag made of 1 tablespoon of ground cloves, and 1 piece of ginger root if desired. Add 4 or 5 whole sticks of cinnamon to the syrup. Add peaches or pears to this boiling syrup. Cook until the fruit can be readily pierced with a straw, let stand in a covered kettle overnight. Next day pack into sterilized Kerr jars. Fill jar to within 1/2 inch of top with fruit and syrup. Put on cap, screw band firmly tight. Process in Boiling Water Bath 20 minutes.

PEAR RELISH

  • 1 gallon ground pears (hard, Keiffer variety)
  • 8 cups ground onions 
  • 8 sweet green peppers (chopped)
  • 2 hot red peppers (chopped) 
  • 2 quarts white vinegar
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons salt 
  • 3 tablespoons dry mustard
  • 6 teaspoons allspice 
  • 2 teaspoons cloves
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon 
  • 2 teaspoons turmeric
  • 4 cups sugar

PEEL pears before grinding. Mix ingredients and bring to boil. simmer 15 minutes. Pack into sterilized Kerr jars to within 1/2 inch of top. Put on cap, screw band firmly tight. Process in Boiling Water Bath 10 minutes. Yield: 10 pints.

PEARS CHUNK-STYLE

  • 8 to 10 large pears, cored, peeled and sliced or cut in chunks
  • one - half cup water
  • one teaspoon cinnamon (can add one-half teaspoon ginger)
  • one-half to one cup of sugar

Put all ingredients into slow cooker, cover and cook on LOW for 8 to 10 hours. Serve warm with cream as a desert fruit or cold.

 

Caramelized French Toast with Vanilla Pears.

Vanilla Pears.

2 tbsp butter

3 large ripe Bartlett pears, peeled, cored, and sliced

¾ cups brown sugar

½ tsp. vanilla extract

Caramelized French Toast

2 eggs

2/3 cup of half and half

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp vanilla

¼ tsp cinnamon

4 1& ¼” slices of Challah bread or other sweet bread.

2 tbsp butter

2 tbsp brown sugar

Vanilla ice cream

Melt butter in a medium skillet. Add pears, brown sugar and vanilla. Simmer over medium-high heat for 2 to 3 minutes until pears are tender. Remove from heat and carefully remove pears from pan with a slotted spoon. Let pears stand for a few minutes, then drain any juices into skillet. Place skillet back over medium-high heat and cook for about 4 to 5 minutes, stirring constantly, until sauce is thickened and caramelized. Remove from heat and set aside. To prepare French toast, beat eggs, half-and-half, sugar, vanilla and cinnamon in a large shallow bowl. Add bread slices and let soak for about 2 minutes to absorb mixture. Turn and let stand 2 minutes more. Melt butter in a large skillet. Sprinkle 1/2 tablespoon brown sugar on each side of bread. Cook over medium-high heat for about 2 to 3 minutes per side until crisp, being careful not to burn the sugar. Transfer to plates and top with pears, caramel sauce and a small scoop of ice cream.

Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: About 15 minutes

Makes 4 servings.

 Ginger Pears

5 pounds hard pears
3 cups water
5 pounds sugar
1/3 cup preserved ginger
3 lemons, juice and grated rind

Remove the skin and cores from the pears and cut the fruit in slices lengthwise. Add the water and cook until the pears are tender. Add the sugar, juice and grated rind of the lemons, the ginger cut in small pieces and simmer the mixture until it is thick. Pour into clean, hot jars and seal.

Alligator Pear Salad

2 alligator pears
Lettuce leaves
1/2 to 3/4 cup mayonnaise or French dressing

Alligator pears, or avocados, are to be had at fancy fruit markets. Cut each pear into six pieces, giving wedge-shaped sections, and if these are too large, cut each section again lengthwise. Peel and arrange wedges of pears on beds of lettuce leaves. Either French dressing or mayonnaise may be used, but the fruit is rich, therefore the French dressing is preferred by many people.

CHICKEN AND PEAR STIR FRY

6 dried mushrooms
3/4 c. cold water
3 tbsp. frozen fruit juice concentrate (orange, apple, or pineapple)
2 tbsp. soy sauce
2 tsp. cornstarch
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
12 oz. skinless, boneless, chicken breast halves or turkey breast steaks
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/8 to 1/4 tsp. ground red pepper
1/4 c. sliced or slivered almonds
1 tbsp. cooking oil

2 med. green, red, orange, or yellow sweet pepper, cut into thin 2-inch strips
2 med. pears thinly sliced 1 inch

Soak mushrooms in warm water for 30 minutes; drain and squeeze mushrooms. Thinly slice; discard stems. Combine cold water, juice, soy sauce, cornstarch, ginger, cinnamon and ground red pepper; set aside. Preheat a wok. Over medium-high heat stir-fry almonds 1 minute to toast; remove. Add oil; stir-fry mushrooms, peppers, and pears until crisp-tender; remove. Add poultry; stir-fry 3 minutes or until tender. Push to side. Stir sauce. Add to center; cook and stir until thickened. Cook for 1 minute more; stir in pear mixture and poultry. Heat through. Stir in almonds; serve over rice.
CHICKEN SALAD WITH PEARS AND ALMONDS

3 c. cooked chicken, chopped
2 med. pears, unpeeled and chopped
1/3 c. celery, chopped
1/2 c. plain low-fat yogurt
1 tbsp. low calorie mayonnaise
3/4 tsp. dry mustard
1/4 tsp. ginger
1/4 tsp. salt
2 tbsp. almonds
1/4 c. currants

Combine yogurt, mayonnaise, mustard, ginger, and salt; set aside. In a medium bowl, toss together chicken, pears, celery, almonds, and currants. Pour yogurt dressing over chicken mixture; mix gently until ingredients are mixed well and moistened. Serve on leaf of lettuce, sliced tomato, or with bread. Makes 6 servings.

TURKEY SAUTÉED WITH PEARS AND PECANS

1 lb. turkey breast slices (or chicken breast slices)
1-2 tbsp. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tsp. cracked pink or black peppercorns
1/3 c. apple juice
2 tbsp. whipping cream (or evaporated milk)
2 pears or apples, sliced 1/4" thick
1/4 - 1/2 c. pecan halves, toasted

Heat oil in a 12" skillet for 1 minute. Place turkey slices and garlic in skillet, cook about 2 minutes on each side, or until browned. Sprinkle with the peppercorns and salt. Pour in juice and add pear slices. Cover and cook 1 to 2 minutes longer. slowly add the cream over low heat, being careful not to curdle the cream. Sprinkle with the toasted pecans and serve with rice. 4 servings

GOLDEN PEAR SALAD

3 tbsp. carrots, shredded
3 tbsp. Cheddar cheese, shredded
1 tbsp. French salad dressing
1 (8 1/2 oz.) pear halves, drained
Lettuce leaves

Combine first 3 ingredients; spoon into pear halves. Arrange on lettuce. Yields 2 servings.

 

I will end this tribute to pears with the poem by the late Hilda Doolittle.

PEAR TREE

by: Hilda Doolittle (1886-1961)

SILVER dust

lifted from the earth,

higher than my arms reach,

you have mounted,

O silver,

higher than my arms reach

you front us with great mass;

 

no flower ever opened

so staunch a white leaf,

no flower ever parted silver

from such rare silver;

 

O white pear,

your flower tufts,

thick on the branch,

bring summer and ripe fruits

in their purple hearts.

 

 “Tread the Earth Lightly” and in the meantime… may your day be filled with….Peace, light and love, 

Arlene Correll  

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