Saturday 13 September 2008

Pear Tree Bonanza!

The back yard pear tree has surpassed all expectations this year. But poor old tree, he's about 40 years old and he's hollow right up the middle. He was so loaded with pears that three large branches have broken off and come crashing down, scattering pears everywhere.

The squirrels have been having a field day, and last week the tree was invaded by a huge flock of quarrelling starlings looking for dinner.
We picked two big buckets full of pears from the lower branches, but there's loads of fruit higher up. The fruit was peeled, cut, cooked, layered overnight with sugar, cooked again in the syrup (with a little bit of ginger to add that spicy tang), then sealed in jars.

Twelve pounds of pears made eight jars.

Some summer sunshine to be enjoyed on a winter day.

19 comments:

  1. That looks absolutely delightful! I wish I were your neighbour and could have a jar or two.

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  2. UMmmmm one of my favorite fruits. Our tree is finished bearing fruit. We got quite a few but nothing like the gems you have.
    It has been such a thrill to pick our own fresh fruit and share it with our family and friends. I was never able to do that for 41 years at our other house.

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  3. You come across any partridges in that tree? Or maybe they hang out in female pear trees. Whatever, nice looking jars of fruit.

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  4. Oooooohhhh! I'll be right over! **Running upstairs to pack** :D

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  5. There is nothing so rewarding as canning; you get through all that hard work, and you have jewel-like, sparkling jars to admire. Then eat!

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  6. a fresh pear sounds delicious!

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  7. Ummmmm - they look absolutely delicious! How about sharing????

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  8. Oh, those look absolutely lovely!

    Lucky you to have fruit trees.....

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  9. Oh yum! That looks golden. I have plums but they end up getting eaten pretty quickly. Fun to share with neighbours.

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  10. Yummy! My parents have a pear tree and they can the fruit from it each year too!

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  11. Now you and Callum are always near, I put you to my reader :)

    These pears tell us, that our climate is different even you have a winter and snow there as we have, but pear trees can not survive in our winter. I am living on the area, where apple trees can manage, but a little northward they can not survive.
    Latitudes of Joensuu are same as between Fairbanks and Anchorage.

    But we can get pears from shops, many times they are still raw and you can guess a taste then ! Better than nothing anyway :)

    Warm greetings already very autumnal Joensuu!
    Special hug to Callum!

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  12. Eureka..! I'm in..! lol
    I planted a pear tree last year. This year it flowered and we found one pear, the size of a marble. After about a week it fell off..!
    The cherry trees all blossomed too, were visited by bees, and set fruit. We went to the cottage and when we got back the fruit had all dropped off. Quite puzzling. I think the pears you put up look wonderful, and the added ginger...yumm!
    Too good to eat..!

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  13. I always admire people who care about canning their fruits (and whatever...), as my mother used to do! (I have been promised deliveries by some local friends)!

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  14. Wow! Those look great! I am a big pear eater. Wish I had a tree in my yard.

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  15. Dennis thinks you're very talented and clever.

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  16. Now you're sounding like my BIL, Don, from their farm in Michigan! I am so envious!

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  17. I love preserved peaches and pears more than the fresh ones. :-)

    Those look yummy -- perfect for winter when you crave some pears.

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  18. Who ya callin' old? Poor tree is the same age as me! :) But see, even an old tree such as that can bring an amazing sweet bounty. Looks tasty!

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