Produce Briefs...
Maui Onions
Two characteristics set the Maui onion apart from other yellow onions: the high sugar and high moisture content of its flesh.
Cantaloupe Melon
The cantaloupe is defined by two elements: its roughly netted stone and green colored skin and its aromatic orange-coral colored flesh. When perfectly ripe, the flesh is juicy, unctuous and sweet.
Seasons/Availability
Seckel Pears are available August through May.
Description/Taste
Brownish yellow and russet, most often having a dark reddish blush, the small almost bite-size Seckel pear, pronounced SEHK-uhl, sometimes has a dull green cast. A very sweet pear with a rather grainy texture, this hybrid offers a subtly spicy flavor.
Nutritional Value
Providing some vitamin C and dietary fiber, one medium pear has about 100 calories.
Applications
Intensify flavor by marinating slices in pear brandy. Halves make attractive garnish for salads and sandwiches. Seckel pears are excellent for pickling and spicing. Taking longer to ripen than other pears, this pear is a very good keeper when refrigerated. To store, place in a fruit bowl or basket and keep at room temperature until ripe.
Ethnic/Cultural Info
The first American pears were raised from seed, which like apples, do not breed true to variety. Because of this, American pears became even more diverse than their European ancestors, resulting in many pure American strains.
Geography/History
Believed to be a truly American pear and named in honor of a Pennsylvania farmer who discovered it around 1820, the Seckel is thought to be a hybrid of Asian and European pears. Quite different from any European variety, this variety is the smallest of all commercially grown pears and sometimes called a sugar pear.
Recipe Ideas
Recipes that include Seckel Pears. One
is easiest, three is harder.
Seckel Pears are available August through May.
Description/Taste
Brownish yellow and russet, most often having a dark reddish blush, the small almost bite-size Seckel pear, pronounced SEHK-uhl, sometimes has a dull green cast. A very sweet pear with a rather grainy texture, this hybrid offers a subtly spicy flavor.
Nutritional Value
Providing some vitamin C and dietary fiber, one medium pear has about 100 calories.
Applications
Intensify flavor by marinating slices in pear brandy. Halves make attractive garnish for salads and sandwiches. Seckel pears are excellent for pickling and spicing. Taking longer to ripen than other pears, this pear is a very good keeper when refrigerated. To store, place in a fruit bowl or basket and keep at room temperature until ripe.
Ethnic/Cultural Info
The first American pears were raised from seed, which like apples, do not breed true to variety. Because of this, American pears became even more diverse than their European ancestors, resulting in many pure American strains.
Geography/History
Believed to be a truly American pear and named in honor of a Pennsylvania farmer who discovered it around 1820, the Seckel is thought to be a hybrid of Asian and European pears. Quite different from any European variety, this variety is the smallest of all commercially grown pears and sometimes called a sugar pear.
Recipe Ideas
Recipes that include Seckel Pears. One
is easiest, three is harder.| My Man's Belly |
|
Chocolate Hazelnut Pear Frangipane Tart |
| Food Blogga |
|
Watercress, Pear, and Brie Salad |
| Anticiplate |
|
Crostata, Seckel Pear, Honey, Thyme, 27 |
| David Lebovitz |
|
French Pear & Almond Tart |
