We love starting off the week by talking about a food we love! Frequently it’s a fruit or vegetable. In the fall, fresh produce is widely available and perfectly ripe. Sometimes, later in the year, it can be harder to find in-season produce as the weather turns colder and harvest time ends. In the winter you find yourself buying produce imported from far away. Vegetables and fruit lose nutrients and flavor as they travel long distances and spend time getting to the shelf. We love “growing foods” all year round, so fruit that’s in season in the winter is a win in our books.

Pears are just coming into season now, and we are thrilled. Different breeds have different seasons, but most are ready to eat now, and some strains will be in season all the way through late spring. The texture that ranges from crisp to buttery is a distinct marker of the fruit. It has a delightful mouthfeel, and its high-fiber content makes it filling and helps keep blood sugar levels normal.

The many different breeds of pears have different flavors, shapes and skin color. All pears have some things in common. For one thing, they’re all delicious! Additionally, they should all be bought under-ripe, handled gently so as not to bruise them and stored at room temperature. They have different uses, and some are suited to cooking while others you eat right off the stem.

A delicious and easy dessert is poached pears. Most people poach them in a simple syrup made of sugar, but that can be avoided easily. Here’s a great recipe using stevia that keeps the sugar low. Poached pears look beautiful and impressive on a plate. You can also sauté pears and serve them with meat.

You can learn more about different types of pears and figure out what’s best for you here. Our team likes the snacking varieties best. While pears off the grill are great, and pear pies are delicious, we love our pears raw, sometimes paired with cheese. However you like pears, we can all celebrate: they are back in season, and they are delicious.