My favorite response to, “how can I tell if a cantaloupe is ripe?” has always been: “A tight, smooth webbing; it should look like the top of my husband’s bald head!” Yes, my fellow foodophiles, produce imitates real life.
Which takes me down the market aisle to pears, my absolute favorite fall/winter flavor.
A pear is one of the few fruits that does not ripen on the tree. They’re harvested when mature but not yet ripe, and when left at room temperature will slowly reach a sweet and succulent maturity, ripening from the inside out.
So, what’s a shopper to do? If you want to know when a pear has ripened to sweet and juicy perfection, you’ll need to check the neck, applying gentle pressure to the neck of the pear with your thumb. If it yields to pressure, it’s ripe. Be forewarned: If you wait until the pear is soft around the middle, then it may be overripe. Once ripe, pears should be plastic bagged and refrigerated to slow the ripening process. They’ll keep this way for up to five days.
When ripe and ready to eat, pears have a honeyed flavor and alluring perfume that bewitch the senses.
There are more than 10 major varieties of USA pears, which come in myriad shapes and sizes that include: Anjou, Bartlett, Bosc, Comice, Forelle and Seckel. These fruits come in a burst of autumnal colors, such as green, golden yellow and red.
Green and red Anjou pears, which are perfect for baking or poaching when slightly under ripe, are at their finest when eaten fresh. Bartletts, both yellow and red, are excellent for fresh fruit desserts and salads.
Bosc, my personal favorite, has a deliciously sweet and spicy flavor, and is the perfect pear for everything from baking to salads to eating out of hand – complete with juices drizzling down your chin. Comice is one of the largest and sweetest varieties, and a perfect accompaniment to cheeses.
Look for a freckled skin and red blush when shopping for Forelle pears. Their smaller size makes them an excellent afternoon pick-me-up snack. Seckels, named “sugar pears” are tiny and ultra sweet (sort of like me!).
Any variety of pear you choose, they’re perfect paired with apples in pies, in sauces, mixed with cranberries, sliced in a blue cheese and greens salad, and are simply luscious in my recipes for ginger pear crisp and a fresh herb yogurt dip with slices of pears.
And, secretly, what woman wouldn’t love being in the pear section of the produce aisle and have someone look your way and yell, “Wow, what a pear!”
Fresh Herb Yogurt Dip with Slices of Pears: Plan ahead to give yourself time to make the yogurt cheese.
Ingredients:
2 cups yogurt cheese, plain or vanilla
2 Tablespoons fresh tarragon, chopped
2 Tablespoon fresh chives, chopped
1 Tablespoon fresh dill, chopped
1 Tablespoon sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar
Freshly ground white pepper
Dash of fresh nutmeg
5 or 6 fresh pears, sliced
Directions:
For the yogurt cheese: Line a sieve with a coffee filter or a double thickness of cheesecloth. Suspend the sieve over a deep bowl. Spoon plain or vanilla yogurt into the filter, cover with plastic wrap, and allow the whey to drip out overnight, refrigerated.
When the yogurt has the consistency of soft, velvety spreadable cheese, scrape into a bowl, discarding the watery whey mixture in the bottom of the bowl.
Add the tarragon, chives, dill, vinegar, white pepper and nutmeg to the yogurt cheese, stirring to blend well. Cover and refrigerate for 2 to 12 hours to allow flavors to meld.
Serve with sliced pears. Serves 4+. – recipe courtesy of Bev Shaffer
Ginger Pear Crisp: Perfect for an impromptu holiday dessert or a weeknight treat!
Ingredients:
4 large ripe pears, sliced
2 Tablespoons finely chopped crystallized ginger
1/2 cup unbleached, all purpose flour
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 cup unsalted butter, cut into pieces
Directions:
Heat oven to 375°F. Lightly grease an 8- or 9-inch square baking dish.
Arrange pear slices in the bottom of the prepared dish. Sprinkle chopped ginger evenly over pears.
In a medium bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. Using a pastry blender or fork, cut in the butter until mixture is crumbly. Sprinkle crumb mixture evenly over pears.
Bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until pears are tender and topping is golden brown. Serve warm. Makes 6 servings. – recipe courtesy of Bev Shaffer
Watch Bev Shaffer prepare the ginger-pear crisp here!
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