The Underrated Fall Fruit You're Totally Sleeping On

When we talk about fall flavors there are two that dominate the conversation: apple and pumpkin. People mark the season with trips to apple orchards and pumpkin patches, they indulge in apple cider and pumpkin donuts, and come home with hand picked fruits. Thanksgiving even feels incomplete without apple and pumpkin pies. They've earned their places in the autumnal flavor pantheon. But there's an often overlooked seasonal fruit whose flavors and uses fit right in with these two: the pear.

It seems we should be going to pear orchards, drinking pear cider, and eating more pear desserts once the weather cools down and the nights grow longer. Like apples, there are many varieties of pears, each with their own flavor and texture. While apples are firm, some pears can be much softer and jucier, and in general pears have a more delicate taste, with some flavor profiles already exhibiting the fall spices we crave.

The top 3 pear varieties in the U.S. are bartlett, anjou, and Bosc. Bartletts are the classic, bell shaped pears with a sweet flavor and buttery texture. Anjou have a little less of a neck, but have a firmer texture with a slight citrus flavor. The bronze colored Boscs are where pears really shine in the fall — they hold up to baking the best and naturally have a hint of cinnamon and nutmeg flavor. Pears are in season from August to October, so you can avoid buying canned pears and enjoy fresh, ripe pears instead.

Anytime you're applying heat to a pear by baking or poaching, you want to choose a pear that's crisp and firm. This is where Bosc pears earn their reputation as a baking pear. With bartletts they should be slightly underripe, but Boscs are firm so choose a perfectly ripe pear with full flavor. In a pinch you can also use the more citrusy red or green anjou, but the warming spice notes of a Bosc are ideal for fall desserts.

Crumbles are an easy way to get some pears into your baking, and a baked pear and oatmeal crumble brings fall to the table for both dessert and breakfast! A simple poached pear is perfect all on its own or with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. You can go all out and make a red wine poached pear with chocolate ganache and hazelnuts, or you can poach them in some sugar water with seasonal spices like cinnamon, cardamom, and cloves.

Pears can be added to savory dishes for a hint of sweetness, as well. A pear and blue cheese salad brings autumn to the table, but choose pears with a firm texture as they can get mushy in salads — a slightly underripe bartlett or a ripe anjou work best. For a main course or shareable appetizer try a delicious honey pear pizza with smoked gouda. However you want to incorporate pears, there's no doubt that they belong with apples and pumpkins in the fall hall of food fame.