Pear Butter

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Fruit Butters are preserves  made from fruit puree and often have added spices.

They have less added sugar and do not require pectin, making them more economical. 

They spread well on breads (thus the butter term)  
and are usually used in the same way as jams and jellies. 

6 cups of ripe, washed, peeled, halved and cored pears

1-2 cups water (the more water the longer it takes to simmer out.)

1 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon ginger.

Place pears and water  in a large pot, cover and bring to a boil on medium high heat.  Cook until pears are soft. Remove pears from liquid and place in a blender or food processor. (You may want to cool slightly), or use an immersion hand blender to blend pears into a smooth puree. Add sugar and ginger and simmer open kettle until reduced to a thick, spreadable consistency, about 2-3 hours.

Place in freezer containers and freeze.

Or fill clean pint or half pint jars and process in a boiling water canner for 20 min. after the water in the canner returns to a boil.

Pick Pears Green!

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It is time to pick pears. Most of the pears that grow in our area are picked around Labor Day.

Pears are picked green and ripen to yellow off the tree. If they are left on the tree until they turn yellow they are usually brown and rotten around the core. 

Make sure to handle pears gently. Do not drop or throw them into a bucket or box or they will bruise and rot.

Place them in shallow boxes and do not stack too many layers on top of each other or the bottom pears will bruise and rot quickly. Cover with a layer of newspaper to help them ripen together if you are going to can them.

Look for delicious ways to use this delicious fruit from tree in our neighborhood or a local farmers market this month.  If you have more than you can use share with a neighbor or friend!

European Pear Salad

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Use up those pears growing in our area with this healthy and flavorful salad! 

It is one of my favorites!

1 head of Romain lettuce cut into bite size pieces or one bag of European greens

1 cup of fresh pears sliced

3 oz. sugared chopped nuts*, (Sliced almonds or chopped pecans are great!)

3 oz. of Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled

light raspberry vinaigrette (any kind works great)

Combine all ingredients together. Garnish with pears, and nuts. Drizzle with vinigrett just before serving.

*To sugar nuts place nuts in a frying pan with 1/4 cup of sugar and cook over medium heat until sugar melts onto the nuts. Watch closely so that nuts do not burn. When golden brown remove quickly from pan onto wax or parchment paper to cool.