It’s still Great American Pie Month and here at Rainier Fruit that means being creative and celebrating with every fruit we cultivate. What better way to liven up these cold winter months than with warm pies shared between friends, colleagues, and loved ones?
Let’s face it: when we talk pies, we think of the originals: cherry, coconut cream, pumpkin, apple and the like. The pear gets left in the cold this time of year (pun intended) in favor of the ever-traditional dishes we’ve loved for years. We’re here to fix that. In our last post we stuck to the basics because who doesn’t love a warm apple pie, but we wouldn’t be Rainier Fruit if we didn’t shake things up a bit.
In this post we’re bringing you your next Great American Pie celebration in the form of the ever-exciting Pear Pie! Why not think outside of the box and wow your guests or family with a delicious slice of heaven made with Wholesome to the Core Rainier Fruit pears? Give your loved ones something to dream about all year long with the best pears and recipes we can find.
Once again, we’ll break down our pears by their flavor profiles to help you pick the best for your baking needs. After all, we didn’t aim to have so much knowledge about our pears to not share with our fellow fruit lovers! Pick your variety and get to slicing, dicing, and making Wholesome to the Core memories with loved ones around a warm pear pie this February.
- Asian Pear – Although the crunchy texture and sweet flavor of the Asian Pear is best consumed freshly sliced or right of the core, their flavor lends well to being baked into delicious cakes, pies, or muffins.
- Bartlett Pear – The Bartlett pear is truly a jack-of-all-trades as its juicy, buttery texture and sweet flavor are perfect for slicing up and serving on cheeseboards, sautéing with cinnamon and topping on pork chops, or baking into your favorite treat.
- Bosc Pear – Although it’s widely thought to need to be peeled and cooked before consuming, the very sweet Bosc Pear is actually great for snacking on raw. They also retain their shape during cooking making them a great ingredient for popovers, tarts, and pies.
- Comice Pear – The sweet, juicy, and soft flesh of the Comice Pear does not hold up well when cooking making this variety best suited for serving sliced on cheeseboards, in salads, or topped on sandwiches.
- Forelle Pear – The Forelle Pear can be difficult to cook with due to its smaller size. This sweet and tangy variety is great for snacking off of a fruit and chocolate platter, or right out of your hand. If the size doesn’t deter you add it to oatmeal, sandwiches, or garnish your favorite soup.
- Green Anjou Pear – The Green Anjou is an all-purpose sweet and juicy variety. They are great for snacking on raw or baked into your favorite treat. They also lend their flavor well to crumbles, salads, sautéed toppings, and cocktails or hot toddies.
- Red Bartlett Pear – This variety is another jack-of-all-trades with their sweet flavor and smooth texture. The Red Bartlett is a great addition to lunchboxes, cheeseboards, crisps, and pies – or sauté it up and serve it with supper!
- Seckel Pear – The Seckel Pear is known as the sweetest variety of pears and they hold their shape and flavor when cooked making them another all-purpose pear. Slice them up raw for a snack, mix it into some yogurt, or bake it into a delicious muffin, cake, or pie.
Now that you’ve got your pears picked, slice ‘em up and bake into your favorite pear pie recipe. Or, maybe the pear pie is a new frontier for you and you don’t have a favorite concoction just yet. We can help with that too! Here are a few recipes we’ve found that passed the ‘it’s my grandma’s recipe’ test. As always, we don’t care if your crust is store-bought or made from scratch – it’s the Wholesome to the Core filling that matters.
The Spruce Eats – Fresh Pear Pie
My Recipes – Pear Pie with Streusel Topping and Caramel Sauce
Taste of Home – Caramel Pear Pie
Food and Wine – Flaky Pear Pie
Pro tip: Caramel makes everything better. We hope you enjoy the pear pie this month with Wholesome to the Core company and make memories that will last a lifetime.