"Autumn's pear crop is always a showstopper. 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."
"But ripening pears at home isn't difficult, you just need to plan on buying firm pears three to five days before you plan to eat or cook with them. 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."
Fall inspires cooking with seasonal pears, notable for their varied shapes: the long-necked Bosc, round Comice, and bell-shaped Bartlett. Market pears are often picked mature but unripe and held in controlled-atmosphere storage, arriving hard and lacking aroma. Home ripening requires planning: buy firm fruit three to five days ahead and use a paper bag at room temperature, checking daily for slight give at the stem base. Roasted pears work well in savory dishes with pork, as a dessert with ice cream, or as an appetizer on baguette with goat cheese and nuts.
Read at The Mercury News
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