Help! Once again, the pear tree has completely exploded with pears, and although we have been eating pears as fast as we can (and letting the goats and the chickens have their share), there are still too many pears! The kitchen table is covered with ripening pears. I have made two gallons of pear sauce, but it hasn't made a dent. The children take pears to school for lunch every day, but to no avail. Today I gave the farrier a dozen pears by way of a tip.
What more can I do with so many pears? I'm thinking of dehydrating - we all like dried pears - but my dehydrator can only hold perhaps six or eight pears sliced thinly. The oven, set to it's lowest temperature, may be able to hold another ten or so. Then I've heard that you can dehydrate fruit on the dashboard of your car if you park it in bright sunlight. I bet the broad dash of the van could hold a dozen pears.
I used to make a fantastic cake that I called (for lack of a better name) pear-walnut-sour cream cake. Maybe I should make a few of those. Maybe they freeze well - what the hell, it's worth a try.
The year before last, we were inundated with pears. I made a really good ginger pear jam- now, if only I could remember where I got the recipe.
ReplyDeleteLast year I made a spicy pear chutney (it goes great with ham and made wonderful holiday gifts). Oh, and there were canned spiced pears, and canned plain pears and......
Good luck!
Judy
Try putthttp://kidsandcanningjars.blogspot.com/2010/09/pear-pie-crisp-yum.htmling
ReplyDeletePutting up pear pie filling.
Dehydrating them or puree and freeze for smoothies.
I wish you could send some my way.
Good luck
Melissa
Wish you could send some MY way too Aimee
ReplyDeleteWhat about pear fruit leather? More pears per square inch of dehydrator space. :)
ReplyDeleteMy mother-in-law discovered that she can dry apple slices very nicely on trays on top of the fridge. So maybe that's another place to dry your pears.
ReplyDeleteWish you could send some my way, too!!! :)
ReplyDeleteI found lots of recipes by Google-ing "pear, walnut, sour cream cake". They look delicious! Here's one:
http://www.bhg.com/recipe/layer-cakes/walnut-pear-sour-cream-cake/
I hope it's like the one you had.
we just finished putting up pears. Jam, sauce, mostly. Then a few crisps to eat, pear turnovers, and lots and lots eaten fresh.
ReplyDeleteI too send a pear to school each day in an effort to get rid of the rest.
You have cider equipment, don´t you?
ReplyDeletePerry:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perry
Most cakes and loaves freeze beautifully. If you're worried about them, wrap them in parchment/butcher/wax paper before putting them in a ziplock bag or something.
ReplyDeleteYou can then put them in a low oven (250-300 F or so) to reheat when pulling them out of the freezer (one woman recommends letting them fully thaw beforehand, but I'm a lazy sucker and don't :-P).
There really is NO better thing to have in your freezer for last minute guests.
Dea Chan - grea idea. I did make two nice cakes last night and I should freeze the one we didn't eat.
ReplyDeleteI will take pears!!! I can also lend you my dehydrator.
ReplyDeleteHeh, freezing the cakes then also means that you don't eat the double batch! (Why are recipes always so damn big?!)
ReplyDeleteI love pears....
ReplyDeletepear sauce sounds interesting how about pear preserves? or pickled pears with ginger? I read lots of great ideas for putting up in your comments. Can you make pear juice? I love the pear nectar I buy at the store...
I planted a pear tree this spring sure hope it produces like yours one of these years.
Nice to have such prosperity!
Sherry
Pear juice! Pear cider! Use the pear juice instead of syrup to can your peaches!
ReplyDeletePear wine. I'm just wondering if you can rig up a makeshift solar drier. Do you get enough sun? You can always use your cars dashboard.
ReplyDeletePies! I'd love pears for pie fillling! My guys really like pies of any kind! I have a freezer full of pie fillings, all made and ready to go into pastry.
ReplyDelete