Fall fruit ripens to pear-fection

Just as I was about to lament the dwindling supply of locally grown tomatoes, corn, okra and summer peaches at the farmers market, I spotted a bin of newly arrived fresh pears. I quickly bought a couple of bags and went on my way.

Like apples, this shapely fruit is a member of the rose family, and when fully ripe has a honeyed aroma, plus a sweet and delectable flavor. There are more than 5,000 varieties of pears produced worldwide, and they are appreciated for their versatility in the kitchen.

Pears are delicious in spicy fruit chutneys made with vinegar and herbs that turn leftover chicken, or a plain roast beef or baked ham into fancy fare. A bowl of chopped pears tossed with a splash of lime juice, a chopped jalapeño pepper or two and a sprinkling of herbs turns into a snappy salsa in minutes.

Pears also caramelize into a lovely glaze for ham, pork, chicken, turkey, duck or pheasant when chopped finely and combined with a little apple or pineapple juice (or white wine or dark rum) and generously ladled over the poultry or meat as it bakes.

During the holiday season I give jars of brandied pears for gifts. I like to serve these treats with ice cream and cookies. Poached pears topped with an orange-flavored chocolate sauce is a favorite in this kitchen, too, and thinly sliced pears make a winsome topping in an old-fashioned upside-down cake.

Pears are ideal for slurping out of hand. The fruit is loaded with dietary fiber, and is a good source of potassium and natural pectin, which aids digestion. And even with their abundant, naturally sweet juice, an average-sized pear has only 100 or so calories.

Although today's pears are available year-round, shipped from warmer climes, they are at their best in the fall, starting with the Bartlett variety, a green pear that turns yellow, sweet and fragrant when ripe, and great for eating out of hand. But there is a Red Bartlett, too, that deepens in color when fully ripe and is equally delicious.

The fall season also brings sweet, juicy Comice pears, russet-colored Bosc pears, and later on, spicy and firm-fleshed Anjou pears, which are ideal for salsa. The juicy Anjou pear also boasts both a red and green color variety.

But I am particularly fond of the tiny yellow, crimson "freckled" Forelle pear that appears from time to time at local markets, but not often enough. It is sweet, juicy and fragrant, a perfect slurping pear.

When buying, choose pears that are free from bruises and cuts. If you plan to bake or cook the pears, select ones that are fairly firm and not yet mushy; they'll hold their shape better.

And don't shortchange a pear and eat or cook with it before it is fully ripe. Unlike apples, pears ripen best off of the tree. If allowed to fully ripen before they are harvested, their smooth, delicate flesh often becomes hard, gritty and granular.

To this day, I ripen pears in a brown paper bag, a technique I learned down home from Mama. Store the unripe fruit in a cool, dark place for two or three days or until it turns almost soft but not mushy. When nicely ripe, pears yield when pressed gently at the stem end, and emit a sweet, rose-like aroma that warms the soul.