What’s in Season: Bartlett Pears

This past Saturday’s crisp and cool weather made for an enjoyable trip to Grand Central Army’s weekly farmers market, located on the edge of Prospect Park in Brooklyn. Although summer’s Jersey tomatoes, sweet corn, and peaches were still abundantly available, fall produce has certainty begun making its seasonal appearance. Especially pears.

One of the most common, and delicious, varieties are Bartlett pears. When picked, they’re light green in color and have a crunchy flesh. But as they ripen off the tree, they turn a shade of bright yellow with blush red spots and their flesh becomes soft, tender, and super sweet. 

Best known as “canning pears,” a farmer I chatted with suggested peeling and poaching them with flavors like cinnamon, cloves, honey, lemon, and ginger.  He then tops them with tart yogurt and chopped walnuts—a healthy dessert or an indulgent breakfast. And I suppose his suggestion—poaching versus canning—is not too different of a cooking method, except that you get the luxury of eating them right away!

I also like swapping half of the apples in my pie filling for Bartlett pears, or roasting and blending them with a bit of cinnamon and molasses to make homemade applesauce.