Pear

How to store Pear

Pears are best stored at room temperature while ripening - you can test for ripeness by gently pressing the stem end, it should feel slightly soft when ripe (and should also smell sweet). Once ripe pears can be stored in the fridge to help them last a little longer.

If you have too many ripe pears they can also be frozen - simply cut them into chunks or slices, and store them in an airtight container or freezer bag. Frozen pears will keep for up to a year.

Prep & Cooking tips

Pears are a versatile fruit that are particularly well-suited for baking and poaching, as their firm texture holds up well to heat and they take on a lovely, sweet flavor when cooked. They can also be used in savoury dishes, thrown raw into salad or slaw for a subtle sweetness and a nice crunch.

Easy ideas

1. Salads

Cut into a dice, slices or thin matchsticks they are wonderful thrown into a salad. In fact they are better slightly under-ripe as they are crisp and not too cloyingly sweet. Try a simple combo of hazelnuts, blue cheese and bitter salad leaves, simply dressed. Try them in a slaw with some beetroot, red cabbage and onion. Dress with crème fraîche and mustard.

2. Pickled

A simple and lightly cooked side. Perfect with pork, game or even a sharp crumbly cheese. Peel and dice 2 pears. Sauté them lightly in a little butter for a few mins before adding 3 tbsp cider vinegar and 1 tbsp light muscovado sugar. Simmer for about 5 mins until just softening. Flavour with a little fresh thyme and maybe a pinch of allspice. Season with salt and pepper. Gets better after a few days in the fridge.

3. Roasted

Peel and halve 3 pears. Scoop out the cores with a spoon. For a sweet treat throw them in a roasting tin with a split vanilla pod, a generous slug of perry or dessert wine, a knob of butter and a drizzle of honey. Bake for 20-30 mins at 180˚C/Gas 4 until tender. Turn and baste at regular intervals. Serve with mascarpone and toasted almonds. For something savoury, tuck them under roasting pork or duck with some rosemary, bay and a glass of white wine for the final 30 mins in the oven.

Goes well with

Nuts (hazelnuts, walnuts, almonds & pistachio)

Dairy (yoghurt, curd cheese, double cream, mascarpone)

Herbs (rosemary, saffron, chamomile)

Spices (cinnamon, cardamom, star anise, clove, nutmeg, ginger)

Blue cheese

Honey

Dark chocolate

Orange, apple, raspberries

Vanilla

Beetroot, parsnips, celeriac, squash

Red cabbage, cauliflower, radicchio

Honey, maple syrup

Red wine, white wine, brandy, Madeira