What pears to pick for your fall recipes — starting with a pear tart and pear butter
Apples may get all of autumn's accolades, but it's time for pears to muscle in on the action.
Understanding which pear varieties are best for which uses will help you choose wisely from the fruit you'll see at farmers markets, farm stands and grocery stores.
You can eat any pear raw, from juicy Bartletts to crisp Asian pears. But in cooking, you may want the pear to retain its shape, or you may want it to melt into a concentrated sauce. I remember pear varieties that hold their shape - for poached pears, and for the pear tart we offer here - with a simple mnemonic of ABC: Anjou, Bosc and Comice.
Some varieties are more grainy or gritty than others but peeling any pear will help
