the pollen count

If you can get your hands on some Warren pears do so immediately and you will be in for the best tasting pears on the planet! A cross between the Seckel pear and the Comice pear, it has thin, edible skin, smooth, ungritty flesh and a flavor full of honey, vanilla and heaven! Seriously, we discovered we had a Warren pear tree growing in the school garden this year when, for the first time (it is 4 years old), it bore a huge crop of  big, juicy pears that were so good the children AND their parents were fighting over them! I researched Warren pears and discovered they are considered one of the best pears around, but we had already figured that out.

One article I read claimed this pear was discovered by Thomas Oscar Warren growing naturally outside a post office in Hattiesburg, MS. It was known as the Post Office pear for awhile before taking on its founder name.  However it was developed, it is truly a fabulous pear. The tree is self-pollinating, very resistant to blight (a big plus), super hardy and grows very fast and tall.  To anyone who grows fruit trees, this one is a must-have! I’ve already ordered one from our nursery for my own garden👍.

These pears are fantastic just by themselves, but I wanted to save some of their yumminess for later so I made a pear butter that is incredible… and super easy to make. I canned some for later but you could freeze it, too. It will also last a few weeks in the fridge, if you can resist eating it immediately. If you cannot find Warren pears, use Comice, Seckel or Anjou pears. I would not recommend Bartletts just because they are much grittier and do not have the complex flavors of other pears that make this Pear Butter so irresistible.

RECIPE for Pear Butter

• 2-5 lbs. ripe pears (depending on how much you want to make)
• 1/8 to 1/4 cup water
• 1TBSP lemon juice
• cinnamon to taste
• 1/2 tsp vanilla

DIRECTIONS:

1. Wash and core the pears. You can peel them or not, depending on how smooth you want the Pear Butter. If they have thicker skin definitely peel them.
2. Cut pears into small chunks, place in large bowl & sprinkle lemon juice over the the top.
3. Put pears into a large pot, add the water and bring to a boil. Turn heat down to low and let them cook for an hour or more, stirring often to keep from burning.
4. When pears are completely cooked down add some cinnamon & vanilla to your taste. Continue to cook until they thicken to an applesauce-like consistency.  
5. Using an Immersion Blender, purée the butter until completely smooth.
6. At this point, your Pear Butter is ready. If you made a big batch you may can some of it or put some in freezable containers (once it has cooled).  If you made a smaller batch, it will keep in the fridge for a few weeks.
7. This delicious spread is great on toast, muffins, bagels, in yogurt, over ice cream or oatmeal, or try a smear on a grilled cheese sandwich.  I have to restrain myself from just eating it straight out of the the jar😋!
   

   A dollop of Pear Butter in your oatmeal

   

   A thick smear on toast is addicting