"Initially, it's their voluptuous contours that captivate. The long, slender necks and arched stems of Bosc pears, the round, silhouette of Comice. The gentle curves of the bell-shaped Bartlett. In the marketplace most often, they are as hard as boulders. They feel more like baseballs than fruit. Not a whisper of sublime sweetness. Not a whiffet of sensuous aroma. They are picked mature but before ripened, then kept in controlled-atmosphere storage. Tree-ripened pears get mushy because they ripen from the inside out."
"The bag-ripening process works like a charm. Place those ever-so-firm pears in a paper bag and loosely fold the top closed. Let them sit at room temperature, checking them every day until the area at the base of the stem slightly yields to gentle pressure. Pears ripen from the inside out, so they usually are ready when there is only a slight give. Then either use or refrigerate them."
"Roasted pears are delicious used in both savory and sweet dishes. They pair irresistibly with pork; serve them alongside broiled or sauteed pork chops topped just before serving with chutney or chopped macadamia nuts. Or for dessert, serve them with ice cream (salted caramel and butter pecan are favorites). Or for an appetizer, serve them sliced atop toasted baguette slices spread with goat cheese."
Autumn pears display distinctive shapes—long slender necks of Bosc, round silhouette of Comice, and bell-shaped Bartlett. Market pears are often very firm because they are picked mature but before ripening and placed in controlled-atmosphere storage; tree-ripened pears become mushy because they ripen from the inside out. Ripen firm pears at home by placing them in a paper bag for three to five days at room temperature, checking daily until the base of the stem yields slightly; then use or refrigerate. Roasted pears suit both savory and sweet dishes, complementing pork, chutney, macadamia nuts, ice cream, or goat cheese on crostini.
Read at Boston Herald
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