Pears

Key facts

Best from September to late October

France is the home of the best pear variety, the Comice, which for years was reverently named Doyenne du Comice, and it does seem that those with the fullest figures and most gloriously juicy, melting interiors come from either France or Italy. British growers produce good crops of the slimmer Conference pear and – recently – of a hybrid called Concord, which is part Comice and part Conference.

Pears don't travel particularly well and are not the subject of a huge international trade, so here is one fruit that has stayed nicely seasonal. Yellow Williams pears are the first of the year in late August. Pears are picked when they are hard so they don't bruise, then stored. They ripen when returned to room temperature.

If you have an ancient tree in your garden that yields rock-hard pears that no amount of mollycoddling indoors will ripen, then you have an old-fashioned cooking variety, a fruit that is commercially obsolete but great for cooks. Some recipes only work with solid, unripe pears.

Related Recipes

---

 Serves 6

Pear Charlotte

A simple interpretation of an old classic, this elegant recipe from Anna del Conte hails from northern Italy. Anna served this to us and we loved it so much she has given me her own recipe. It's also very good made with apples.

 

 

 Serves 8

Poires Belle Helene

This wonderfully impressive recipe would make a great way to end a supper party... just add cream and toasted almonds to decorate for the final flourish!

 

 

 Serves 4 as a light lunch

Warm Pear and Walnut Salad with Roquefort Dressing and Croutons

This salad is a revelation - soft succulent pears, the sharp creaminess of Roquefort cheese and the dry nutty crunch of walnuts combine beautifully to make a salad that's second to none.

 

 

 Makes a 1 litre jar

Spiced Pickled Pears

This unusual pickle looks impressive and tastes wonderful! Serve the pears with cold meats and poultry... they'd go particularly well with gammon or ham, and would make excellent food gifts.

 

 

 Serves 4

Grilled Autumn Fruits with Sabayon Cider Sauce

This is a very pretty and colourful dessert for the autumn or winter. It can be made well in advance as the fruits are served at room temperature, with a sauce to go with them that can either be warm or cooled.