The oyster mushroom gets its name from its cap which, some say, resembles an oyster. The stem of the oyster mushrooms is perhaps more distinct; it unfurls something like one of those old-time paper lady's fans. The oyster mushroom has...

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Harvesting and Storing Pears

Bartlett pears come to harvest in summer; most other varieties come to harvest in early autumn. European pears such as Bartlett and Comice ripen to perfection only after they are removed from the tree having been picked still green and hard. Allow these pears to ripen on the counter at about 75°F/24°C. Asian pears ripen on the tree and do not have to be picked and cured like European pears.

Pears harvested green can be stored in a cool place--where the temperature does not exceed 75°F/24°C--for ripening and use in winter. Pears will store in a cool place for up to 12 months depending upon the variety. (Pears are not recommended for freezing.)

To store pears, place them in a box or on paper trays where they will not touch and air can circulate around the fruit. Pears in storage should not be exposed to freezing temperatures and should be safe from rain and pests. Check the fruit weekly to remove any soft or decaying fruit. Remember: "One bad pear can spoil the lot." When you are ready to use stored pears, allow them a day or two to ripen on the counter.

For tips on cooking pears click here.

For information on pear varieties, click here.

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Finding a Ripe Pear

When a pear yellows and yields to the touch at the neck, it is ripe, juicy, and ready to eat.

European pears are best when ripened off the tree. Pears left on the tree will not develop peak flavor or texture.

That means that when a pear reaches its mature size—and mature size depends upon the pear’s variety—it should come off of the tree green and hard.

Once off the tree a pear should ripen slowly. One of the best places this can happen is in your own kitchen. Slow room temperature ripening allows a pear’s sugars to develop.

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Five Pears

European pears are juicy and live up to their nickname “butter fruit.” A ripe pear is soft-fleshed and melts in your mouth.

Pear season runs from August through December in the northern hemisphere, February through June in the southern hemisphere.

There are five European pears that deserve your attention: ‘Bartlett’, ‘d’Anjou’, ‘Bosc’, ‘Comice’, and ‘Seckels’.

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Pear Eating and Cooking

Since pears—that is the European varieties--are plucked from the tree before they are ripe and cure to ripeness usually in a cool, dark place, how do you know a pear is ready for your bite?

Well, there are two ways to choose a pear for eating out of hand: smell and feel. A ripe pear ready for snacking will have a sweet, fruity fragrance. You’ll know it when you smell it. And, a ripe pear that you can munch or use as a dessert this moment will be slightly soft at the stem end. You can gently feel it.

Pears that came off of the tree in October and early November—referred to as autumn or winter pears (such as the Comice and the D’Anjou)--are ready for eating out of hand now. (Remember, most Asian pears will ripen completely on the tree and can be eaten right after they are picked.)

How about pear cooking? Pears for cooking or poaching can be slightly less ripe than those for snacking; that is they should be firm but not hard. Simple!

Pears can be served with duck, pork and poultry. Pears have a flavor affinity for allspice, bay leaf, chocolate, cinnamon, clove, honey, red wine, rosemary, thyme, vanilla and white wine.

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Pears

Taste pears. There will be one that is just right for you.

There are more than 5,000 varieties of pears. Of course, it is unlikely that you will ever be in the presence of more than a half-dozen varieties at once—even at the farm market. But, nonetheless, the taste of a pear can linger in your subconscious palate, and after you have done your share of tasting around, you will no doubt remember your favorite.

The pear harvest, in most regions, came to a close a month or two ago, but here’s the catch, now is the best time to find the tastiest pears at your market. Why? Because most pears do not ripen well on the tree but instead gain sweetness after they are harvested and as their starch converts into sugar.

The process of sweetening up pears can take place on your cool kitchen counter or it can go forward in refrigerated cold storage. It’s probably the case now that the pears you select this week at the market or farm stand have been gaining sweetness in a cooled warehouse since late in the summer. Ask your grower to know for sure

There are several species of pears, but generally pears are divided into two groups or classes: those that originated in Asia and those that originated in Europe. The difference: European pear trees generally require more days of winter chill than Asian pears in order to be productive, and Asian pears will often ripen right on the tree, unlike European pears.

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