Our Kieffer Pear tree has always puzzled me a bit. Not because I don't think it's beautiful, but because unlike European Pears, it doesn't soften with time. No matter how long it hangs on the tree, the pears remain hard and crunchy, so it's not easy to know when they're ready for picking. The consistency of the flesh is much like a jicama and the flavor is very mild.
Our lone Asian Pear tree has grown tall and statuesque in a corner of the garden. It's filled with five inch fat, golden pears! This year we left the pears to ripen way past the usual harvest time hoping to give the pears time to sweeten up. Instead of September we waited until late December to pick the pears. The white flesh of the Kieffer Pear has a coarse texture and is best used for canning and baking. This year we made pear sauce. We just peeled, cored and chopped the pears, then let the pears slow cook in a crock pot all day. We like our pear sauce chunky, so no mashing or over cooking for us!
We added a dash of apple pie spice and that's it.
Look what we got!
The sweetest, richest, most luscious, flavorful pear sauce that we have ever tasted!
Here's a little more information about our lovely little pear tree.
