Did you know?
This pear was used primarily for baby food in the U.S. before discriminating chefs began highlighting its creamy, juicy properties.
Too delicate for machine packing, smallish French butter pears offered challenges to commercial U.S. growers, who first marketed this heirloom variety to restaurants such as Berkeley’s Chez Panisse restaurant in the 1970s. Also known as Buerre Hardy in the U.S. and Gellert’s and Butterbirne in Europe, French butter pears are a relative of Anjou pears and date to around 1820, writes Barbara Flores in “Pears.”
Buying tips
Look for this heirloom at specialty stores — we’ve already seen them in the produce section of Fox & Obel. Select firm, unblemished fruit. Because pears ripen outward from the core, do not wait for them to become too soft. Buy those that yield to slight pressure. Available through the winter, they are at peak-season in September and October.
Storing hints
Store unripened pears at room temperature in a paper bag or on a kitchen counter. Do not store in sealed plastic bags. Refrigerate ripened pears up to two days.
Preparation tips
If peeling, follow the natural lines of the pear to peel with a vegetable peeler. Use a melon baller to remove the core.
Cooking suggestions
Butter pears are delicious eaten raw as a snack or sliced in salads. Recipes often use these sweet pears in dessert preparations. The French halve butter pears lengthwise and add a dollop of foie gras. Sweet pear juices can flavor vinaigrettes.
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dpierce@tribune.com
