Pears can go from hard to soft very quickly. To control ripening, keep the bag in the fridge and only put one or two on the counter. Enjoy ripe, soft or bruised pears with these five tips.
1. Bake With Them
Pears are great for baking. They add delicious flavour and hold their shape nicely. Cut out any bruised parts and use pears as a substitute for apples in many recipes like Awesome Apple Tart or Fridge Harvest Crumble.
2. Make Homemade Pear Sauce
Move over applesauce, here comes pearsauce! That’s right, pears can be cooked into sauce just like apples. Season with a little cinnamon, nutmeg or cardamom. Serve on its own or try it with these Scotch Pancakes.
3. Freeze Them
Did you know you can freeze pears? Slice and freeze them raw. Dip in lemon juice if browning is a concern. To prevent them from sticking together, freeze in a single layer on a baking sheet then transfer to an airtight freezer bag.
4. Add Them To Your Smoothie
Soft, over-ripe pears are perfect for adding to your favourite smoothie. Use them on their own or in a combination with other fruit.
5. Preserve Them
Pears are perfect for canning. Firm pears can be sliced or halved and canned in a light syrup. Soft pears are great in jam or chutney.
Did You Know?
Pears ripen from the inside out, by the time they are soft on the outside, they may be over ripe. To check if a pear is ready press the stem end with your thumb, if it is solid, it is not ripe, if it gives a little, it is ripe. Learn more about how to store pears.