Pearfection
I like to tell people my top 5 favorite fruits. I am not sure why, but I find ways to bring it up a lot in daily conversations. Maybe I just like the alliteration of "five favorite fruits," which, I believe, is reason enough.
However, my list is usually incompletely. The list always includes the following (not ranked in any order):
Plums
Watermelon
Clementines
Pineapple
and...?
Usually that fifth one belongs to mangos, but since that only counts when I am living in a place that grows them, I am not sure it can truly be on the list. Typically, slot number five is filled with whatever is currently fresh, local, and in season.
But I think I finally found a contender for a real life spot on my list. Pears!
Who would've thought?
Most of the time whatever is in the produce section of your neighborhood grocery store cannot be considered pears. Pears are tricky because they are only good when they are at the peek of their ripening perfection. Usually the ones at the store are so woody that no one can actually eat them. Gross.
But pears that are ripe and soft like butter? Seriously. So good. I just want to stuff my face with them.
We got a box of these babies last Saturday when Meridian Grocery got them in from Colorado. (So, not really local, but still, a very nice alternative. And actually, they might be pretty close to "local" around here. In regions of plenty, typically the local range is within a 100 mile radius. But since we live on the dry, barren Prairie, there is a very good chance that our radius is quite bigger than that).
I've spent every evening this week canning, but I know that it is worth it. Last winter, our Gram gave us some of her canned pears and they were often the highlight of our January meals. Perfectly sweet - just like candy.
Yum.
Welcome to the top five fav fruits, pears!
Canning Pears
*To can Pears follow the same instructions for Peaches with the following exceptions.
1. Pears will need to be peeled, but unlike peaches, do not blanch them. You can peel them in the same way you'd peel a potato, with a veggie peeler.
2. After they are peeled, slice and core them. (A lot of instructions talk about removing the core with a melon baller. I don't have one of those but maybe you do).
After that, it's the same. Still pack them in jars, fill with simple syrup, tighten lids and put in a water bath for 25 minutes.
Do you know what I mean when I say "water bath?" This simply means boiling water. When we can these, we bring our stock pot filled with water up to the necks of the jars to a boil. After that point, we let them go for 25 minutes. After it has reached that time allotment, we usually just turn off the stove top and leave the whole thing there until it is completely cool (because we go to bed at this point typically). If your jars don't seal after this whole ordeal, they can be re-processed if you catch it right away. However, they typically seal after the set time and/or if they are allowed to sit in their hot water for awhile afterwords. If it still hasn't sealed, just pop them in the fridge to enjoy right away.
However, my list is usually incompletely. The list always includes the following (not ranked in any order):
Plums
Watermelon
Clementines
Pineapple
and...?
Usually that fifth one belongs to mangos, but since that only counts when I am living in a place that grows them, I am not sure it can truly be on the list. Typically, slot number five is filled with whatever is currently fresh, local, and in season.
But I think I finally found a contender for a real life spot on my list. Pears!
Who would've thought?
.jpg) |
| pre-processed jars. |
But pears that are ripe and soft like butter? Seriously. So good. I just want to stuff my face with them.
 |
| Afterwards, our pears turned "pinkish." So lovely. |
I've spent every evening this week canning, but I know that it is worth it. Last winter, our Gram gave us some of her canned pears and they were often the highlight of our January meals. Perfectly sweet - just like candy.
Yum.
Welcome to the top five fav fruits, pears!
Canning Pears
*To can Pears follow the same instructions for Peaches with the following exceptions.
1. Pears will need to be peeled, but unlike peaches, do not blanch them. You can peel them in the same way you'd peel a potato, with a veggie peeler.
2. After they are peeled, slice and core them. (A lot of instructions talk about removing the core with a melon baller. I don't have one of those but maybe you do).
After that, it's the same. Still pack them in jars, fill with simple syrup, tighten lids and put in a water bath for 25 minutes.
Do you know what I mean when I say "water bath?" This simply means boiling water. When we can these, we bring our stock pot filled with water up to the necks of the jars to a boil. After that point, we let them go for 25 minutes. After it has reached that time allotment, we usually just turn off the stove top and leave the whole thing there until it is completely cool (because we go to bed at this point typically). If your jars don't seal after this whole ordeal, they can be re-processed if you catch it right away. However, they typically seal after the set time and/or if they are allowed to sit in their hot water for awhile afterwords. If it still hasn't sealed, just pop them in the fridge to enjoy right away.
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