Local Pear Harvest
A few weeks ago I was lucky enough to spend time in the Okanagan Valley, which stretches across the border of northeastern Washington and southern British Columbia. Jon competed in (and finished!) Ironman Canada and I was along for the ride as head cheerleader, driver, and chef. As we drove up Highway 97, I was completely taken with the Okanagan countryside. Picture wide open blue skies, rolling hills dotted with pines, winding rivers, and orchards. Lots and lots of orchards.
The Okanagan’s hot, dry summers and cold winters make it perfect fruit tree country. Everywhere we went there were signs offering peaches, apples, nectarines, and pears for sale. And as soon as we crossed the border we entered Canadian wine country. Yes, they make wine in Canada. And it’s good, too.
On our drive back to Seattle, I just had to pull the car over to the side of the road so I could snap a few shots of this pear orchard. Huge crates lined the rows of trees, just waiting for workers to come in and pluck the ripening pears from their branches. I was enchanted by the beautiful setting and just amazed at how many pears there were growing in one place. Enjoy the pictures, and if you have any good pear recipes, send them my way. I’m anxious to cook with some local pears now that I’ve seen them in person.
P.S. If you want to know more about Canadian wine country, check out the August issue of Sunset. Margo True wrote a great article about the Okanagan wine trail that included some great tips on what wines to try and where to taste them.
What amazing photos! That area is so beautiful. I made some really yummy Vanilla and Spice Pears with my leftovers although it was hard not to eat them all fresh.
September 17th, 2009 at 4:57 pmWillie – we have 2 “Rescue” pear treas, very dwarf, and this year we are buried in pears! They are so good, and last night I picked one that weighed 1.25 lbs. It even broke the small branch off the tree. Anyway, in my effort to use them all, I made this great appetizer for a party. Enjoy!
September 17th, 2009 at 6:06 pmhttp://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=659328
Thanks for the recipe! We drove from Bellevue over to Lake Chelan yesterday and I bought a huge box of Red Bartlett pears from a small self serve stand. They are beautiful and so sweet but won’t last long. I’ll be busy this week end I guess. Any other recipe suggesions? I’m planning on a pear/cranberry conserve and possibly some pear mincemeat (never done that one before). With so many I will probably can some with a light syrup too but I’m open to suggestions!
September 18th, 2009 at 10:20 amYou just can’t go wrong with a pear and almond frangipane tart! http://www.williams-sonoma.com/recipe/recipedetail.cfm?objectid=3027BB69%2DC27A%2D41D0%2D8C5259506BAD08B9
September 18th, 2009 at 2:31 pmA great option is to cook ‘em down into pear sauce, like applesauce except no need to add sweetener or much of anything. If they seem dry, a touch of apple juice is the perfect accompaniment. Pear sauce is a divine dessert in December.
September 19th, 2009 at 11:39 amLast year we got our cider press and pear cider beat apple cider hands down. Our pear tree if full of bosc pears, so we are ready to start pressing.
September 21st, 2009 at 5:10 pmI knew you guys would come through with killer ideas. Yum! Now…to buys some pears at the farmer’s market this weekend.
September 23rd, 2009 at 8:14 pm