What to cook this week: Recipes featuring pears

“What to cook this week” is a weekly series featuring recipes that use local, seasonal produce. Look for new ideas and recipes every Thursday.

Pears are a relatively low-calorie, nutrition-rice snack (one medium pear contains around 100 calories and a healthy dose of Vitamin C) – but they can also be used as an ingredient in many sweet and savory recipes.

Available throughout the fall months, buy pears that have smooth skin without surface markings. Because they can spoil quickly, pears should be stored in the fridge and consumed within a few days of purchasing.

According to Statistics Canada, the production of pears in Canada has fallen by a quarter since 1941. Five major varieties are grown in Ontario: Bartlett, Clapp’s Favourite, Anjou, Bosc and Flemish Beauty. British Columbia produces 50 per cent of the Canadian crop of Bartlett pears.

Recipes featuring pears

Whether cooking dinner or baking something sweet, these recipes from Food Network Canada offer a fresh way to use pears in the kitchen.

• Flourless pear and cranberry pie
• Butternut squash and pear soup
• Oven-dried pear chips
• Pear almond tart