George Shirley wrote:
> zxcvbob wrote:
>
>> 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
>
>
> Bob is right, Kieffer are the best pear for making jams, etc. My father
> had two trees, my FIL had one, and I now have one, self-pollinating
> Kieffer in my backyard. I eat them raw but you have to wait for them to
> ripen on the countertop, or as above, wrapped in newspaper. For
> preserves, canned pear slices (make excellent pies and tarts), conserve,
> jams, pear honey, pear butter, etc they can't be beat. I've tried other
> varieties but they never turned out "right." I also use them for making
> wine and once distilled some of the wine into a pear brandy, long ago
> and in another country.
>
> Strange thing is, I've never seen them for sale in markets but often you
> can get some good soul to let you pick up a bucket or two as the Kieffer
> is very prolific.
>
> George
>
seckle pears are another winter variety that are good for jams and pickles.
Ellen