Featured Ingredient: Pears!

Tender and sweet, pears are the buttery textured autumn fruit of our dreams. Amazing in savory and sweet dishes, pears aren’t just versatile at the dinner table. We learned about how adaptable pears are on a global scale, and why they are so important to food economies around the world.  

Along with many other foods we profile, pears are a member of the rose family, (Rosaceae). (We're starting to think everything is a member of the rose family). Pears are an important fruit, as they are cultivated in all countries in temperate zones of both hemispheres. From the United States to China in the North, and Argentina to Australia in the South, pears are an essential crop. The origin of the pear is thought to have come from two points, China, and Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey), and was then brought to the Middle East, in the Caucasus mountains, Central Asia and Europe. Early Spanish missionaries introduced pears to the New World, bringing them from Europe to Mexico to California. Pears are the ninth most cultivated fruit in the world, and are mainly a commodity in China. In the United States, pears are mostly grown here in the Pacific North West, where temperatures and conditions are just right for the tender fruit.

Much like their cousin the apple, the main way pear trees are reproduced is by grafting onto the rootstock of another tree. In Europe, quince is the main rootstock used for grafting pears, as the result is a smaller tree that produces earlier in the season than pear rootstock.  

Start your love affair with pears this week at your local farmers market! You can find them at Little Wing Farm, Collins Family Orchards, Tonnemakers, Martin Family Orchards, K&C Farms, AG Family Farm, Grouse Mountain Farm, Mair Farm-Taki, Rockridge Orchards, and Booth Canyon Orchard. They are also available for pre-order and market pickup on WhatsGood!