Bosc pears are available from September through April. They are elegant, firm and large, and their dense, creamy-white flesh makes them ideal for baking and cooking. This brown and russeted pear is ambrosially aromatic, crunchy yet tender, and pleasantly sweet and spicy. Aside from its brown, russeted skin—which does not effect the quality of the fruit—the Bosc is easily identifiable due to its wide, full base, elongated neck and long, curved stem.
When choosing Boscs you do not have to take its russested skin into consideration as it does not change color as it ripens. The russeting might be seen on just a tiny portion of its skin, or might entirely cover the pear’s surface. To check to see if a Bosc is ripe, use your thumb and place gentle pressure near the stem. If it yields to the pressure, it’s ready. Because Boscs are more firm than other pears, they will give less. The reason why Boscs are more firm is because they become more flavorful and sweeter earlier on during the ripening process. If you purchase pears that are not yet ripe, you can speed up the process by placing your Bosc pears in a brown paper bag at room temperature. Once ripened, you can refrigerate them.
Enjoy this firm, sweet tasting pear as a snack, or use for baking, broiling, grilling or poaching. Need another reason to delight in this fantastically, fragrant fruit? Pears are a good source of dietary fiber, potassium, and vitamin C.
Here is an elegant, yet simple, poached pear recipe using cinnamon and red wine. This dish can be prepared ahead of time, because once poached, the pears will continue to absorb the syrup. Poached pears can be enjoyed cold or warm, and can be served as a light and elegant dessert as is, or served alongside a rich cake.
Cinnamon and Red Wine Poached Pears
Ingredients
- 2 cups dry red wine
- 2 cups water
- ½ cup honey
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 large bay leaf
- 5 whole cloves
- 1 cinnamon stick
- Juice from 1 lemon
- 8 Bosc pears
Preparation
- In a large, nonreactive saucepan, bring the red wine, water, honey, sugar, bay leaf, whole cloves, cinnamon stick, and lemon juice to a boil.
- While ingredients in saucepan are coming to a boil, peel the pears.
- Cut pears into halves; remove cores.
- Place pear halves in the saucepan and bring back to another boil.
- Reduce heat and gently poach for 15 minutes, or until pear halves are almost tender when pierced with the tip of a paring knife.
- SERVES 8
