Pear perfection

Countless varieties of pears are grown around the world and you'll find the most popular ones available here almost year-round. But our summer and fall seasons showcase the best of all -- Canada's own harvest of splendid Bartletts, Bosc and Anjou. Sweet and dripping with juice, fresh pears are a pleasure to eat out-of-hand, but also hold their own as a versatile ingredient in recipes.

Nutritional value
Source of folic acid, vitamin C, fibre.

Buying and storing
Pears are always harvested while still hard; their juiciness and pleasant sweetness develop after picking.

Choose firm, plump fruit with unblemished skin.Store at room temperature to ripen. (To speed ripening, place in paper bag; to slow ripening, refrigerate.) A slight giving when the pear is gently pressed at the stem indicates ripeness.

Once pears are ripe, refrigerate and use as soon as possible.

Preparation and uses
After peeling or slicing, coat pears with a little lemon juice to prevent browning.

To remove cores neatly from halved pears, use a melon baller.

Pears' mellow taste combines well with many other foods. Good flavour partners include mint, ginger, raspberry, cranberry, apricot or toasted almonds.

For snacks or after dinner, serve pears with cheeses and nuts.

Pears are excellent sliced or diced in salads, both sweet and savoury.

Pears can be made into delicious jams, chutneys and chili sauce.

For a simple but elegant dessert, poach whole or halved peeled pears in wine or flavoured syrup until tender; top with whipped cream, fruit puree or chocolate sauce.

Grilled pears
Peel, halve and core pears. To serve with grilled chicken or pork, brush with a little balsamic vinegar. Grill on lightly greased rack or grill pan for a few minutes on each side. Or, to serve as dessert, grill pear halves cut-side-down, turn and brush with fruit liqueur or sprinkle with brown sugar; serve with vanilla ice cream.