We’ve all heard the phrase, “Good things come in small packages.” Well, in the case of Seckel pears, it is absolutely true.

These tiny, round bodied pears are the smallest of all commercially grown pears, but don’t let the size fool you – they are amazingly sweet! So sweet, in fact, that they are often called “sugar pears.” What I love about them is that besides being sweet, they still have that earthy pear flavor that reminds you of winter: cool and refreshing, yet firm and rich. And you’re in luck, because now is the best time to buy them! Don’t wait too long though, as they will be gone from the produce department in the next couple of weeks and you will have missed your opportunity.

When buying these chubby snack-sized Seckels, look for an olive green skin that can often display a dark maroon blush from the bottom to it’s short little stem. Like most winter pears, Seckels don’t change color when ripening, so you’ll need to pick them up and use the following little trick to make sure they are ready to eat.
The best way to tell if they are ripe is to apply gentle pressure with your thumb at the stem end and if it yields to the pressure then it’s ready to eat.

While I love to eat them with lunch or as part of my afternoon snack, they are wonderful in many other ways. Try them sliced and fried in butter to top your weekend pancakes along with a spoonful of greek yogurt, or use them instead of bosc pears the next time you make a winter salad. I recently used them in a spinach & arugula salad with toasted hazelnuts, blue cheese crumbles and shallot olive oil dressing. It was so good it has been requested for our next family gathering!

Posted in "For the Love of Produce" by MM, Blog |