To me, fall hasn’t arrived until locally-grown pears reach grocery stores and fruit stands. Part of the former family orchard consisted of Bartlett pear trees. Two Bartlett trees grew in my grandfather’s front yard, and two Seckel pear trees grew near the old chicken coop on the farm. My grandmother used to can both varieties.

As is typical of any kid, I didn’t know what I had until I moved elsewhere. I bought some pears at the Dallas Farmers’ Market many years ago, thinking they’d be as good as what I’d get back home in New York. Big mistake. I bit into one and it was as if I’d bitten into vaguely pear-flavored pea gravel. BLEAH!!! I think pears benefit from being grown in places with real winters and more temperate summers.

Pears don’t ripen on the trees. Storage helps the starches break down into sugars. If you’re not going to eat pears right away, buy less ripe ones and let them ripen in the fridge – or on the counter if you’re in a hurry. A ripe pear is every bit as juicy as a perfect peach. Unfortunately, ripe pears are also as fragile as ripe peaches. If you take a ripe pear to lunch, it’s a good idea to protect it in your backpack or lunch bag by packing it in a plastic bag with some air in it to act as a shock absorber.

Bartletts are my go-to pears.  They’re readily available and consistently good. I also like Boscs, as they have a slightly spicy taste. Comices are tricky, partly because they can have a gravelly texture similar to the pear I had in Dallas. The color of the pear isn’t critical. Red Bartletts taste the same as the yellow ones. For a treat, buy some Seckel or Forelle pears when you see them in the market. These are small in size, but have excellent flavor. They’re the right size to serve with a cheese plate. Asian pears are more like apples in texture. They’re good grated up in a marinade for Korean bul gogi or kalbi (barbecue beef or short ribs, respectively). They’re usually more expensive than domestic pear varieties, which is why some of the Korean recipes we’ve tried recommend using 1 pear and 1 apple as a substitute in the marinade.

If you’re suffering from apple fatigue at this time of year, consider the pear. There may be fewer varieties of pears in the stores, but I think they’re less of a gamble taste- and texture-wise than apples – as long as you’re not in Dallas.

An addendum: I was in the mood for comfort food the night after I wrote this. Julian made grilled cheese sandwiches with cheddar and (Bartlett) pear. It worked very well, although the cheddar wasn’t sharp enough for my liking. Word from the wise: Irish cheddar is wimpy. Go for New York or Canadian Black Diamond sharp or extra-sharp in grilled cheese.