Posted on 09/12/2021 6:21:42 AM PDT by NOBO2012
I picked up what I suspect are the last of the summer peaches at the farmer’s market on Friday.
Local pears, as has been the case for the past decade or so, were in very short supply. I fear they have fallen out of favor with the consuming public over the years and that as the trees die off they are replaced with more marketable fruit such as peaches or apples. For the life of me I can’t imagine why, I personally would choose a perfectly ripe, juicy Bartlett pear over a peach any day of the week. The problem may be image. Although there are glamour pears that are as gorgeous as they are delicious they are best procured from such fruit giants as Harry and David if you don’t live in Oregon or Washington. Our local conditions tend to favor only the lowly Bartlett. It is an excellent variety to my mind: iconic shape, sweet and juicy when ripe but with a very short shelf-life. It’s also prone to bruising and browning and presents overall as a less-than-perfect specimen in a world consumed with style over substance.
They are at peak eating for no more than a day so must be enjoyed on their time, not yours. They don’t keep well in the refrigerator like a peach will for a few days. And once the rot begins - from the core out generally – there is nothing that can be done other than to pitch them and hope for a better batch next time.
But that’s another post. This post is about peaches.
I’m making a pie because I have so many peaches and pie makes me happy.
This isn’t mine – I haven’t made it yet – but I hope it will look like this.
Peach Pie
4 c. sliced peaches (can use frozen peaches but make sure they’re thawed and at room temp)
3 tbs. corn starch
¾-1 cup sugar – depending on peaches sweetness
Pinch of salt
¼ tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp almond extract
1 ½ tbs. butter, cut in small pieces
2 prepared pie crusts (yes, I use Pillsbury, no I don’t consider it cheating)
Preheat to 400 degrees.
Mix dry ingredients together, combine well with peaches and almond extract,
Put peaches in pastry lined pie plate. Dot with butter and cover with second pastry. Crimp edges, trying to seal well to prevent boil overs. Make several slits for steam to escape, brush crust with a bit of milk, sprinkle lightly with sugar and place on a baking sheet if you want to prevent juices from getting all over your oven.
Wrap edges in tinfoil and bake for 40 minutes. Check and remove tinfoil. May take another 15-25 minutes depending on the juiciness of the peaches. Remove when bubbly and crust is evenly browned.
Maybe we’ll talk more about pears tomorrow.
Posted from: MOTUS A.D.
I don’t like pears. It’s not so much the flavor (tho I’m not crazy about that either) as the gritty texture. Even the mushy canned pears are gritty.
I do like peaches & peach pie and peach ice cream. (tho I don’t like the fuzzy skin, so they need to be peeled or I buy nectarines)
Thanks for the recipe.
I’m right there with you concerning the pear. Something about that peach fuzz and my aunts just never sat right with me.:p
Make your own crust, with lard
“There are only 10 minutes in the life of a pear when it is perfect to eat,” Ralph Waldo Emerson.
Been able to get peaches for about 67 cents/lb since late spring.
Amen! Peach fuzz is fine with me.
I prefer a Bosc pear, in general, to a Bartlett...but sometimes it is hard to find any pears that haven’t been mishandled before they reach me down in South Florida. I read an article about ripening pears before eating...I guess if you don’t live close to where they are grown, they have to be picked early to stand up to handling and shipping...so they are not usually ready to eat when you buy them in the markets here. The article stated that the pears should be ripened in the produce drawer of the fridge...supposedly reduces the graininess and in=mproves the flavor. I have a few Bosc pears in the fridge now...this afternoon looks like it will be a good pear-eating afternoon.
The French created the perfect pear recipe. Poach peeled pear in sugared water, serve drenched in chocolate, add a swirl of cream, maybe ice cream....or both.
After harvesting we stored them in a cooler to keep for a week or so, pulling them out as I need them. Usually we make "pear leather" grind them up into a sauce then pour them out on the dryer shelf with a liner. My grown children and grandchildren ask for those every year. We also dry them in strips, or make pear crisp or pear jam. The best way to eat them is ripened, cooled and then sliced for eating, which I am doing right now for breakfast.
Yellow jackets love them. They will eat them right off the tree.
Lol! “pie makes me happy”. A true confession if I ever heard one.
And man that is an otherworldly ten minutes.
......with Bleu cheese........
Nothing tastes better than sliced pears and crumbled bleu cheese with aged balsamic vinegar drizzled on top, along with a great glass of Pinot Noir. Seriously delicious. 🍐 🍷
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