First Taste of Fall!

Summer has flown by, and while I never want to wish it away, I LOVE the fall.  For me, the first sign that it’s on the way is the beginning of the USA Pear harvest. Among the first of the season: this Green Bartlett that showed up at the office yesterday.  I can’t wait for it to ripen up – it’s the only major variety that will noticeably change skin color from green to yellow as it ripens.  But of course, my go-to test for ripeness for any variety is to Check the Neck! These delicious little beauties are en route to Moscow, Russia, for sampling.  But they’ll start popping up soon in your local grocery stores, if they haven’t already, along with Red Bartletts and Starkrimson.  These early season varieties are at center stage now – while the Anjou, Bosc, and others Continue reading

The Time is Ripe for Pears: New York

Well, we turned the Big Apple into the Big Pear for a few days! We had a great visit to New York City – we ate delicious food, shared ins-pear-ation with shoppers, and visited some of Manhattan’s most famous neighborhoods. At PUBLIC Restaurant, Chef Brad Farmerie shared the pear love – watch this video to hear what he thinks about pears! (Visit our YouTube page for another fun outtake with Chef Brad.) We also served up fresh pears at the Whole Foods Market in Tribeca, where shoppers raved about the sweet and juicy Bartletts. On our way back to the hotel, we stopped by Ground Zero, home to a new memorial – and one very hardy pear tree! Unfortunately, tickets were sold out for the day, but we snapped a photo of the new buildings in progress.   Chef Brad Continue reading