The mighty pear

Three things you may not know about pears

• They like to travel in, ahem, pairs. Pear trees require cross-pollina­tion to produce fruit, so plant two compatible varieties together, like Bartlett and Comice.
• During the Renaissance, the pear was considered a royal fruit. Most  still-life and landscape paintings in this time period feature pears.
• They’re so smooth that in Europe ripe pears are called butter fruit.

Three ways to try pears now

• Cut up and added to a roasted vegetable mix baked in the oven.
• Poached, in the classic Pear Belle-Hélène, topped with ice cream and covered with chocolate sauce.
• Sliced, with a drizzle of hazelnut oil and some cheese.

Two things to remember at the grocery store

• Commercial pears are unripe when picked for transport; buy them a few days before you need them to let them ripen fully.
• Apply gentle pressure near stem, not at the belly; they should be just beginning to soften

One thing all good cooks know
One pear is not like another: tender, juicy pears like Anjou and Bartlett work well for poaching and cooking in liquids. Bosc varieties, firm and crisp, go well n dry cooking or roasting recipes.

One essential tool for pears

• A pear corer, with both a wide and and a narrow end

One way to add to your repeartoire
Sip a sophisticated peartini, made with the newest vodka flavour, Absolut Pear.

Read more in Recipes and Country Pantry