Neither of us has a pear tree* – apples are the priority on our patches – but we do have neighbours who grow a few and this year they seem to have lucked out with bumper harvests. One neighbour’s tree was so laden with fruit that bags of conference pears have been distributed to half the houses in Nick’s street. So despite our apple preference we now have a glut of pears to deal with.
The most obvious things to make with pears are crumbles and tarts, but when those options have been fully exercised what other uses are there? Here’s some surplus pear inspiration…
Grate
Pears don’t properly ripen until they have been picked. So while you’re waiting for them to soften and ooze with juice, take advantage of their crispier nature by shredding them on a grater. Grated pears can be used in numerous ways, from mixing into your morning muesli or porridge, stirred into a salad or coleslaw, baking into bread or buns, or our favourite – whisked into a pancake batter.
Freeze
Like most fruits, pears are happy to spend a while in the freezer. Core them, slice them, box or bag them and stuff them in the freezer until ready to use. Besides using them for some of the other ideas in this piece they’re particularly useful for whizzing into a smoothie when the fresh fruit bowl is low on resources. You can also whizz them up before freezing and make yourself some pear lollies.
Jam
Pear jam isn’t the most obvious preserve but it’s a tasty one, particularly if combined with a few well chosen spices. Pear and ginger works a treat but you can easily get carried away with other spices too. We’ll be using our pear surplus to try this recipe from Ginette Mathiot in House & Garden – pear jam with vanilla and clove.
Chutney
Just as spicy pears work in a sweet preserve, they also go down a treat for a sticky, savoury chutney as an alternative to apple. BBC Good Food has a recipe that looks ripe for tinkering with and we reckon the resulting pickly pears will pair great with Stilton cheese.
Booze
Yes, we’ve saved the best until last. The most well known pear-based booze is perry, but unless you specifically have perry pears then you’ll struggle to make anything decent. Instead, try making a cider flavoured with pears by chucking a few fat-bottomed fruits in with the apples.** Pear wine is also well worth attempting, producing one of the best light country wines we’ve ever made – you can our pear wine recipe on this website.
Pear liqueurs are also rather popular and can be made at home by infusing pears in sweetened spirits. It’s not something we’ve tried before but if any neighbours swing by with any more pears then it will be top of our list
*If you discount Rich’s Pointless Pear
**You can find more precise instructions for pear cider and pear wine in our book, Brew it Yourself
FAQs
Grated pears can be used in numerous ways, from mixing into your morning muesli or porridge, stirred into a salad or coleslaw, baking into bread or buns, or our favourite – whisked into a pancake batter.
What to do with too many pairs? ›
Preserves: Pear butter is one handy preserve to make with gluts of pears. It will keep well so you can put it aside for use as a filling for cakes or even as a sauce like in the recipe above… Or check out my recipe for pear and chilli chutney below.
What to do with a pear glut? ›
What to do with all those pears
- Spiced pears in red wine. Peel pears and cut into quarters, sixths or eights. ...
- Leek and Pear Puffs. Roll out some puff pastry. ...
- Salad. Pear, blue cheese and walnuts.
- Crumble. Pear and cinnamon, pear and apple, pear and pear….
- Roasted. Pears and apples roast well with any veg.
- Cake.
If planning to use pears uncooked, freeze using juice or water method. Freezing pears using dry packing or in sugar is the best method for pies or other cooked dishes. If planning to use pears in a sweetened jam, jelly, fruit butter, or sauce, try freezing using the juice or water method, but choose unsweetened juice.
What to do with 10 lbs of pears? ›
Even unripe, pears are a very nutritious food. You can poach them (a fruity white wine with some cinnamon, vanilla, water and brown sugar 45 minutes to an hour…. a very tasty treat!), you can make sauces, jellies…. you can bake them.
How do you preserve pears? ›
Pears can be preserved by canning, freezing, or drying. They also star in specialty jams, butters, relishes and chutneys! The natural sweetness of dried pears makes them a tasty high energy snack. Although canning is preferred, full-flavored pears that are crisp and firm can be frozen.
What can I do with old pears? ›
Here are 11 recipes that are perfect if you're wondering what to do with overripe pears.
- Freeze for Smoothies. Do you love to make smoothies? ...
- Pear Jam. ...
- Pear Crumble. ...
- Mash Into a Pancake Topping. ...
- Blend Them Into a Salad Dressing. ...
- Bake Into Fruit Leather. ...
- Pear Ice Pops. ...
- Vanilla Spiced Pear Butter.
What to do with unripe pears
- Peel the pears and dice them into cubes.
- Cook the pears with raisins or dates to add some sweetness.
- Spicy them up with cinnamon. I love cardamom spice too.
- Blend into a pear sauce.
Pack them into freezer bags, removing as much air as possible. If your pears are destined for pie, try freezing pear slices in a parchment- or plastic wrap-lined pie pan. Once pears are frozen, slip them into a freezer bag. They'll be ready to drop into a pie crust and bake—no thawing required.
How do you store a lot of pears? ›
Best Way to Store Pears
Place ripe pairs in the refrigerator for up to 12 days. To freeze pears, cut them into halves, quarters, or slices and soak them in 1 quart of water and 3 tbsp (44 mL) of lemon juice for 3 to 5 minutes. Seal the pears in bags or containers and put them in the freezer for up to 10 to 12 months.
Also include 1-2 semi-soft cheese options like Gouda or Manchego. Semi-soft cheese pair well with the sweet, fall-like flavor profile of the Bosc pear. Hard cheeses, like an aged cheddar, would make another great addition and pair well with several different pear varieties including d'Anjou, Bosc or the Comice variety.
How do you store pears in a Mason jar? ›
Canning Pears
Fill jars with hot fruit. Pack hot pears in jars, leaving 1/2 inch headspace, then cover with boiling syrup. Remove air bubbles and adjust lids. Process in a boiling water bath.
How do you store pears for the winter? ›
A suitable storage place might include a garage, shed or cellar, provided that it is:
- cool, with an even temperature of 2.8-7°C (37-45°F) for apples and even cooler for pears, if possible (pears can even be stored in the salad compartment of a fridge)
- frost free.
- well-ventilated.
- dark.
- slightly humid.
- free from mice.
Just-picked or purchased pears should be ripened at room temperature. On the counter is fine, but keep unripened pears out of the 'fridge. Once ripe, you can store pears in the refrigerator. The cold temperatures will slow the ripening process and they'll keep for 3 to 5 days.
How do you store pears long term? ›
For long-term storage, refrigerate unripened pears at a temperature of 32 to 35°F. European pears may be stored for one to three months. Remove stored fruit about one week prior to use to fully ripen at room temperature.
What to do with pears going bad? ›
Enjoy ripe, soft or bruised pears with these five tips.
- Bake With Them. Pears are great for baking. ...
- Make Homemade Pear Sauce. Move over applesauce, here comes pearsauce! ...
- Freeze Them. Did you know you can freeze pears? ...
- Add Them To Your Smoothie. ...
- Preserve Them.
Freezing Pears
Add pears and simmer 1-2 minutes; drain and cool. Cover with cooled syrup, leaving ½ inch headspace. Add 1/2 teaspoon ascorbic acid per quart to avoid discoloration (optional). Seal and freeze.
What can I do with a glut of apples and pears? ›
9 brilliant ways to cook apples and pears
- Spiced apple thins. ...
- Parsnip and apple soup. ...
- Shropshire fidget pie. ...
- Lemony spiced poached pears. ...
- Pork sausages with a creamy cider sauce. ...
- Toffee apple and pear strudel. ...
- Apple tarte tatin. ...
- Buttermilk pancakes with maple syrup pears.
