Pears are in season and there are some great deals on organic pears at most any grocery store.  I recommend organic. A good rule of thumb is if you will be eating the peel eat organic to minimize chemical exposure from pesticides and herbicides. For specifics on smart produce choices see:

https://www.ewg.org/foodnews/clean-fifteen.php

https://www.ewg.org/foodnews/dirty-dozen.php

Have you had an encounter with a pear and never really ate one again?  Might be it wasn’t ripe, might be it was too ripe. Here’s the secrets to adding pears into your seasonal diet in a BIG WAY as pears are really supreme at delivering nutritional value, electrolytes and easing digestive difficulties !!

There are 10 or more varieties of pear. You’ll find Bartlett and Anjou most often in your grocery store. Bosc can also be found. They have a rough dry tan colored skin. Don’t shy away as this can add a lovely texturally contrast to your cheese or antipasto platter. 

 http://usapears.org/pear-varieties/

The secret to good eating is to buy when pears are green or firm.  Take them home to grace your kitchen table or counter.  Refrain from cutting into them for a few days.  The pears will happily ripen to just the right tenderness at room temperature. By checking in on them you are creating that connection with your food, even if you didn’t grow and pick them off of the tree!  Or you can ripen them in a brown paper bag if your family cannot resist grabbing them before they are ripe.  Don’t forget about them! The best way is to have them visible and you can check in on them regularly. 

When ripe they will still be firm in hand but have a little give on the surface when squeezed with your finger tips.  Wash in baking soda water, rinse and slice into quarters, remove the seeds/core and then slice each quarter into 3-4 slices. READY TO EAT!  Extra whole fruit you can refrigerate when they are just right and they will last for a week or so.

-Eat fresh.

-Pair with a meat dish or salad.  

-Slice into small pieces and ADD to a tossed salad for a sweet and savory contrast.

-Bake into a Quick Breakfast Tart (gluten, egg and sugar free!)  I use this recipe with apple, peach, berries  or whatever is in season.  This offers a sweet morning treat or dessert.

Quick Breakfast Tart

Preheat oven to 350F

1-2 just ripe organic pears (2-3 cups)

1 cup fresh unsalted nuts, (your choice) pecans, walnuts, almonds or macadamia

1/2 teaspoon Sweetleaf organic stevia

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 

1/4  teaspoon ground ginger (optional)

a pinch of sea salt

Wash pears, quarter and core and then slice thinly by hand or with a mandolin slicer.

Chop nuts to medium coarse, mix with spices and stevia.  

Grease a baking dish with 2 tablespoons of butter. Leave extra butter in pieces.

In baking dish add pears, nuts, spices and stevia to the buttered baking dish, mix and toss by hand so that the butter coats the ingredients.  Wash hands.

Cover dish and bake for 25 minutes. I like to cover with a thoroughly dampened piece of parchment paper molded to cover the dish. Check at 25 minutes, if fruit is soft and tender it’s done, otherwise add on 5 minutes at a time.

Let cool slightly, serve and enjoy.  Great with a splash of homemade nut milk!

Maybe you are an apple fan and rely on an apple day for a treat or side dish. My favorite is Honey Crisp! Pears offer a delicious seasonal change in your healthy choices. Become a connoisseur!