Added: Feb 1, 2012

From: WhatsUPFamilies

Duration: 5:9

Originally coming from Asia, pears are thousands of years old and have gone from just one variety to more than a thousand over the years. Several of these pear varieties can be found closer to home right here in Ontario, which is great because buying said pears helps support the local economy. "It helps us local growers hire more people," says John Fedorkow of Fruit Haven Farms. Plus, when you purchase imported fruit it has to be trucked a long way -- especially from the west coast of California and Washington where a lot of the pears come from -- so it's going to be on the road for 40 to 50 hours. "So it's better to buy your pears from Ontario," adds Fedorkow. Pears are grown all over Southern Ontario and particularly along Lakes Erie and Ontario and below the Niagara escarpment where the climate is ideal. Fedorkow says it needs to be less cold in the wintertime and nice and warm in the summer in order to produce a nice, big beautiful fruit. Aside from looking delicious and tasting juicy when perfectly ripe, pears are also a good source of fiber, vitamin C and calcium. And the best part about pears, according to Fedorkow, is they're fat-free and sodium-free so they're just a great, healthy snack. In Ontario, pears are usually in season around mid-August in small quantities but the more popular varieties -- bartlett and bosc -- are ready to eat at the end of August or beginning of September. However, bosc pears first sit in cold storage to properly mature before being consumed so this variety isn't seen until later in the season. Another appealing aspect of peaches is that they're versatile in cooking and can be enjoyed in a variety of ways, aside from just on their own as a simple snack. "Pears can be grilled, they can be poached," explains Fedorkow. "I've seen them in some great desserts where they're just cut open and some syrup is put on them." Many things about this local fruit are versatile and have been used since the first settlers grew pears -- first for a source of food on its own, preserved and in juice. The wood was also used for a multitude of things as it's fairly hard so it was used as firewood and to make furniture out of. The Ontario Produce Marketing Association offers another use for pears in this recipe that would be great for a quick breakfast, an afternoon snack or a delicious dessert. Ontario pear squares with maple icing 1 cup Ontario pears, peeled and cubed ½ cup sugar 1 cup buttermilk 5 tbsp butter, melted, cooled zest from one lemon 2 eggs 1¼ cups flour ¾ cup cornmeal 1 tbsp baking powder ½ tsp cinnamon ¼ tsp salt Maple icing: ¾ cup icing sugar ½ tsp vanilla extract 4 tbsp maple syrup 1. Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Grease and flour two, 12-cup square or regular muffin pans. In a food processor, add pears and sugar and pulse until coarsely chopped. Set aside for later use. 2. Whisk together in a large bowl -- buttermilk, butter, lemon zest and eggs. In a medium-sized bowl, add flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt and stir to combine. Add wet ingredients to dry and stir until combined -- do not over mix. Fold in reserved pear mixture. 3. Divide batter evenly among pans and bake for about 20 minutes, or until a tester inserted in the centre of the squares comes out clean. Cool completely before removing from pan. 4. For icing: whisk together icing sugar, vanilla and maple syrup in a medium-sized bowl until a smooth icing consistency is formed. For a thinner consistency, add an extra tbsp of maple syrup. Place cooled muffins on a baking tray lined with parchment or wax paper. Drizzle the icing on top and allow it to set for a few minutes before serving. Makes 12 squares and 1 cup of icing. Per serving (1 square): about 224 calories, 4 g protein, 6 g total fat (3.5 g saturated fat), 39 g carbohydrates, 1 g fiber, 45 mg cholesterol, 221 mg sodium. %RDI: iron 8%, calcium 7%, vitamin A 5%, vitamin C 2%. Source: www.ontariotenderfruit.com. For more information about the benefits of eating fresh Ontario fruits and vegetables, visit the Ontario Produce Marketing Association online at www.theopma.ca.

Channel: Howto

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