Our best fruit forward

Let pears symbolize sweeter days to come

We’re all eager to put this pandemic in the rearview mirror. In the meantime, small dinner celebrations may benefit from a little twist. I’m thinking of substituting desserts that contrast the usual pies, bars or cakes and create finales that symbolize comfort and change.

I’ll be baking up pear desserts that deviate from the traditional, sweets that signal better times to come. According to usapears.org, in ancient times people believed that pears represented immortality and prosperity because pear trees have long lives. In many cultures, the pear tree is a symbol of comfort, the pear a symbol of affection.

But pears require patience. In the marketplace they can be as hard as boulders. They feel more like baseballs than fruit. Not a whisper of sublime sweetness. Not a whiff of sensuous aroma.

They’re picked before ripened, then kept in controlled-atmosphere storage. Tree-ripened pears get mushy because they ripen from the inside out. Ripening pears at home isn’t difficult, but plan to buy firm pears three to five days before you eat or cook with them.

The bag-ripening process works like a charm. Place those ever-so-firm pears in a paper bag and loosely fold the top closed. Let them sit at room temperature, checking them every day until the area at the base of the stem slightly yields to gentle pressure. Because pears ripen from the inside out, they usually are ready when there is only a slight give. Then use or refrigerate them.

Unless you are judging Bartletts, don’t depend on color to tell you when pears are ripe. Bartletts turn from green to a golden yellow as they ripen. Most pears remain nearly the same color as they ripen.

Here are three delicious pear desserts. To my way of thinking they are scrumptious forecasts of better days.