Wayne Boatwright wrote:
> I have several old jam/preserve recipes from my grandmother which call for
> pears to be peeled, cored, then either ground (jam) or sliced (preserve). My
> recollection of her jam/preserve was that the pears retained a noticable
> texture. When I buy pears for eating ripe, it seems the texture would be far
> too soft for grinding or slicing and retaining a texture after cooking.
>
> Are these recipes expecting a different kind of pear or pears that are not
> ripe?
>
> TIA
>


"Kieffer" pears. They are large, irregular shaped, and hard and gritty.
They are not much good for fresh eating* but they are fire blight
resistant, self-pollinating, and good for cooking. There's another
variety called "Pineapple" that should work, also unripe Asian pears.

*You can eat them fresh if you wrap them individually in newspaper and
store them for a few weeks for them to fully ripen and soften a bit.
Pears (like bananas) do not ripen well on the tree.

Best regards,
Bob