Move Over, Apples: Pear Recipes Are In This Fall

Here & Now resident chef Kathy Gunst is celebrating pear season with recipes for poached pears, pear cake and pear salad. She brings samples for host Robin Young to taste.

Apples get all the attention this time of year. But pears are their sophisticated autumn cousin. Pears have a lot to offer: They boast a sweet, earthy flavor, have fiber and vitamin C, are fat- and cholesterol-free and each is only about 100 calories.

How To Tell When A Pear Is Ripe

Unlike most other fruit, pears don’t ripen on trees. They are harvested when mature, but not yet ripe. Keep them at room temperature; you’ll know they’re ready when you give a gentle squeeze on the neck and the pear yields. The pear should be quite aromatic.

Once ripe, you can refrigerate pears. At the market, look for ones that are firm and bruise-free.

7 Types Of Pears

• are egg-shaped and come in green and red varieties. They are squat and don’t have much of a “neck.” These are sweet, juicy pears that work well eaten raw or can hold up to baking and poaching.