On 2015-01-28, Boron Elgar > wrote:

> For me, it is not the variety as much as the texture - in otherwise,
> fully ripe may not hold up to the baking. I, myself, find pears more
> tender and less likely to bear up as well as apples.

> So...you can use pears just at the point before they are ripe enough
> to exude juice and are still retaining some firmness that you can feel
> when you peel and slice them.

Thanks for the tips, Boron. I read on the Cook's Thesaurus that
Winter Ellis pears are good for baking, but who can find those. This
other site:

http://allrecipes.com/howto/a-pear-primer/

......has some great tips, also. They say Bosc pears hold together
when poaching/cooking. Perhaps baking, too.

I find it strange that so many pear tart recipes call for canned
pears! Yes, even Martha Stewart, who calls for a paté brisée instead
of a short crust, adding jam and crème ptissière, yet using canned
pears! Blasphemy!!

I also found this, which will be finding its way into my gullet:

http://wine.about.com/od/howwineisma...achedpears.htm

Pear AND wine? Can't decide which to buy, Stilton or some good CA
zin. I know ....both!

nb