A few weeks ago we went with friends on our yearly apple and pear picking trip to Julian. Thistradition is such fun — the kids love picking apples and pears. However, this year, due to the drought, there were few apples — and they had already been picked. So, instead we picked only pears.
Apples get lots of attention because of their acknowledged health benefits, but pears should not be overlooked. They are equally beneficial. First, pears are one of the fruits highest in fiber. Pears’ peels also contain antioxidants that help boost the immune system. Furthermore, pears contain vitamins C, K, B2, B3, and B6, as well as folic acid and copper.We love eating pears just as they are, but also love them in fresh salads, on toast with almond butter and in smoothies. I also like to preserve pears for the winter, so I make pear sauce (which is just like apple sauce but with pears).☺I juice pears and freeze it so there is juice later in the year. And I dehydrate pears, which is one of kids’ favorite snacks.
Sugar Free Cinnamon Pear Sauce—My kids eat this on top of their breakfast oatmeal. I use it instead of applesauce when baking. And we also eat it as a snack topped with some Greek style yogurt and granola.
Dice and remove cores from pears. Place pears, cinnamon stick and water in a pot and bring to a boil. Cook on medium heat until pears are soft. Remove cinnamon stick and blend pears until creamy. Pour into clean mason jars or freeze. Sauce will last 2-4 weeks in fridge and a couple of months in freezer.
Dried Pear Slices—Great for a quick snack, for school lunches or to bring on a picnic.
Mix water and lemon juice in a large bowl. Wash pears and slice them thin either by hand or with a mandolin. Soak pears in lemon water for 5 minutes.
Dry pears in a dehydrator for 5-6 hours, or dry in an oven on lowest setting with oven door slightly open until dry (about 7-10 hours).
Preheat oven to F350. Mix all dry ingredients in a mixing bowl. Mix milk and oil in a separate bowl. Stir in wet ingredients to dry. Pour batter into a greased cake pan and arrange pears on top. Bake for about 50 minutes.
Fredrika Syren is an environmental activist and writer. In 2016, she founded the website Green-Mom.com where she shared her family’s journey of living zero waste. She lives in San Diego, California with her husband James and their children Bella, Noah, and Liam. Fredrika and her family were recently featured in the documentary Zero Time to Waste. Fredrika is also the author of Zero Waste for Families – A Practical Guidebook (which you can buy on this site)
What can I do with surplus pears?Grate. Pears don’t properly ripen until they have been picked. … Freeze. Like most fruits, pears are happy to spend a while in the freezer. … Jam. … Chutney. … Booze.
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Grate. Pears don’t properly ripen until they have been picked. …
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Freeze. Like most fruits, pears are happy to spend a while in the freezer. …
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Jam. …
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Chutney. …
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Booze.
Dried Pear Slices—Great for a quick snack, for school lunches or to bring on a picnic.
A few weeks ago we went with friends on our yearly apple and pear picking trip to Julian. Thistradition is such fun — the kids love picking apples and pears. However, this year, due to the drought, there were few apples — and they had already been picked. So, instead we picked only pears.
Dice and remove cores from pears. Place pears, cinnamon stick and water in a pot and bring to a boil. Cook on medium heat until pears are soft. Remove cinnamon stick and blend pears until creamy. Pour into clean mason jars or freeze. Sauce will last 2-4 weeks in fridge and a couple of months in freezer.
Preheat oven to F350. Mix all dry ingredients in a mixing bowl. Mix milk and oil in a separate bowl. Stir in wet ingredients to dry. Pour batter into a greased cake pan and arrange pears on top. Bake for about 50 minutes.
Sugar Free Cinnamon Pear Sauce—My kids eat this on top of their breakfast oatmeal. I use it instead of applesauce when baking. And we also eat it as a snack topped with some Greek style yogurt and granola.
About the Author: Samantha Johnson is the author of several books, including The Beginner’s Guide to Vegetable Gardening, (Voyageur Press, 2013). She lives on a former dairy farm in northern Wisconsin with a Pembroke Welsh Corgi named Peaches and writes frequently about pets, gardening, and farm life. Visit her online portfolio.
As the leaves on the trees slowly change colors and the air takes on an invigorating, nippy quality, you know it’s only a matter of time before the pears on your pear tree are ready for harvesting. Picking those first juicy fruits can leave you giddy with excitement, but what if your tree produces more fruit than you know what to do with? If you are lucky enough to possess such productive pear trees, consider these time-honored ways of preserving your excess so you can enjoy their sweet taste in a multitude of new ways, both now and throughout the winter.
6. Pickled Pears If you want to add even more flavor to your pears, try pickling them in vinegar and spices. As with pear butter, pickled pears can be made using various spices, allowing you to customize the ingredients to suit your taste. Pickled pears can be kept in the refrigerator and enjoyed for as long as a week; you can also preserve them for winter by canning them.
4. Pear Pie To celebrate the harvest of your pears, why not try baking a pear pie? Pear pie can be made in virtually the same way as apple pie (some people even use a combination of apples and pears), so find your favorite apple pie recipe, make the pear substitution and get baking.
Combine your sauce batches into the slow cooker and add sweeteners and spices. Pear butter can be made in many different ways using many different ingredients, making it easy to adjust to your personal preferences. You may use honey instead of sugar, or opt for vanilla and caramel instead of the traditional apple pie spices. Cook the sauce with added ingredients, allowing the flavors to mix and the sauce to further reduce. Blend with an immersion blender, then process in jars using a water-bath canner.
Tasting and Comparing All The Pear Varieties I’m Growing
FAQ
How do you use surplus pears?
What can you do with extra pears?
There are endless crafts and kids’ activities to do with pears. Here are a few ways we use up extra pears in crafts in the autumn. Gather your beautiful family together for a paint and taste. Slice up some pears for snacks and set up your most delightful (or silly) looking pear.
Are pears healthy?
Yes, the pear is one of the fruits richest in fiber and phenolic compounds, there are several benefits of the pear for health, the main ones being the relief of intestinal constipation, cholesterol and blood glucose control and a well-strengthened immune system.
What to do with extra pears in autumn?
Here are a few ways we use up extra pears in crafts in the autumn. Gather your beautiful family together for a paint and taste. Slice up some pears for snacks and set up your most delightful (or silly) looking pear. Give everyone a little canvas to paint on and see how incredible and unique each one turns out.
How do you deal with too many pears?
Here are some fantastic ways I’ve learned to deal with too many pears: There are tons of baking dishes, snacks, crafts, and other uses for pears once you get a bit creative. Read on for all the details about how to make the most of your pear harvest (even if it’s a bit excessive).