Even if you don’t have pear trees, you can still score a big box of pears while they are in season. If you want to get really crazy, you can preserve them so you have them all year long. If not, just enjoy them while they are fresh and the season lasts. Either way, here are some ideas for both:
Preserving
- Can them. Canned pears are simple and delicious. They are my go-to winter fruit. Also, they taste pretty awesome for breakfast with a little cottage cheese.
- If you are not into canning them as is, try making/canning pear butter. This stuff makes toast something to look forward to.
- Pear Vanilla Jam makes great gifts. We like it on our pancakes too.
- Make Pear and Ginger Applesauce and then freeze it. It freezes really well and makes for a quick side for lunch or dinner.
- Whip up and can a batch of Cranberry Cinnamon Pear Sauce for Thanksgiving dinner this year. Make it now, enjoy it later.
Ways to Enjoy Them Fresh
- Besides the obvious of eating them whole, you can add them to antipasto platters–which make simple, but popular appetizers.
- Keep in mind, you can usually substitute pears for apples in most recipes. It gives the recipe a whole new flavor. Try your favorite apple pie recipe or apple crisp recipe using pears.
- I am a pretty big fan of tarts. This Rustic Pear Tart is no exception.
- Throw them in smoothies. They sweeten really lightly and add nice flavor/texture to smoothies.
- Dice them and add them to a spinach and chicken salad. They add just the right amount of sweet.
Do you have any favorite pear recipes?
~Mavis
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Kayla says
I like your Carrot Cake Jam recipe for fresh pears too. Now I want to go get some pears…
Mavis says
That does sound amazing! Yum.
ilona says
Love your pear ideas! We have a very generous Bartlett Pear Tree on our property … actually tomorrow is Canning Day for the first batch of those pears … they are sweet & juicy! I should have been canning before this but our schedule these last 2 weeks included bedroom painting and carpet shampooing and my physical energy level doesn’t always keep up with my brain’s capacity to think up projects … anyway … PEARS! so, i have given some away and been looking for recipes for those fresh Pears … my daughter claims she doesn’t care for Pears all that much; however, i won her over with these 2 recipes:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n3TjUOr6DHY (a grilled Pear & Brie sandwich)
PEAR CAKE
Ingredients:
4 pears, peeled, cored and cut into ¼ inch slices
180g sugar (3/4 c., rounded)
4 whole eggs
150g flour (1-1/4 c.)
125g butter, melted and cooled (1/2 c. = 1 stick)
a pinch of salt
2 tsp baking powder
2 Tbsp sultana raisins
2 Tbsp almond slivers
Lightly butter a baking dish and arrange pears evenly at the bottom.
Preheat oven to 180º C. (350 degrees F.)
Mix flour with salt and baking powder.
Beat eggs with sugar until creamy, white and doubled in volume.
Gradually add the flour mix, then the melted butter.
Blend in the sultana raisins. I didn’t add any spices because pears are so aromatic!
Pour the batter over the pears, sprinkle with almond slivers and bake for 40 to 45 minutes. Serve warm, with a dust of icing sugar and enjoy!
I made mine in a tube pan … came out sorta like a Pear Upside Down Cake … it is not too sweet and the batter was like a silk ribbon … i did not include the raisins and almonds … ways i am thinking of dressing it up next time i make (yes, i AM making this again) i am thinking of how great scoop of vanilla ice cream would go with it OR my neighbor suggested raspberries with a dollop of Whipped Cream … ooh, have you ever tried Cold Pear & Raspberry Soup? okay, i’ll stop now …
Mavis says
The grilled pear and brie sandwich sounds divine!
Carla says
OK, you HAVE to share the Cold Pear and Raspberry Soup recipe!
Samantha Surovec says
I have a wonderful pear pie recipe with crumb topping that has pecans in it. Its the bomb! The best pears I ever canned were from a tree that had heavy cicada damage the year before. Made them very plentiful and sweet. I tried pear butter a few years earlier but found it to be grainy. I do like to make other butters better, especially blueberry butter.
ann in E. oregon says
I am canning pears now, but I always hold some back for Vanilla Pear Coffee Cake. You posted this aaaaamazing recipe and I LOVE it!
Also, from Simply In Season, the Upside-Down Pear Gingerbread is on my list of new recipes to try! It sounds wonderful!
Mavis Butterfield says
Now I’m going to have to try it too! 🙂