Australian pear growers, restaurants, cafés and cooking schools will unite to teach home cooks how to use cooking pears during Australian Pear Month, and the start of the pear season, this month.
“Australian families have lost the art of canning and preserving. These pears remind us of years gone by when Australian families knew how to make the most of fresh fruit when it was in season. This year, restaurants, cafés and cooking schools will be reminding us how to cook with fresh pears,” says Jimmy Kalafatis, pear grower and managing director of Kalafatis Fresh Farm in Shepparton, Victoria.
“We want to encourage people to enjoy pears right from the beginning of the season in March to ensure none of the tasty crop is wasted,” says Kalafatis.
“We are asking restaurants, cafés and cooking schools to support the Australian pear industry by putting pears on their menus so diners everywhere can enjoy this delicious fruit while it’s in season,” Kalafatis adds.
Now in its third year, Australian Pear Month celebrates the start of the season and its competition has seen hundreds of restaurants and cooking schools include pear creations on their menus and vie for a prestigious title of Australian Pear Month Restaurant or Cooking School of the Year.
To build on the success of the two previous competitions, the Australian pear industry has introduced a new category to the competition, with cafés now being able to compete for an Australian Pear Month Café of the Year award.
The pear dish with the most votes from diners will earn the best cooking school, café and restaurant the winning title for their category. This year, the industry will award state winners plus an overall national winner. Patrons of restaurants and cafes, and cooking school students, vote for their favourite pear recipe on the Australian Pears Facebook page for their chance to win a meal for two.
For more information about pears and inspiring recipes, visit the Australian Pears website at www.rediscoverthepear.com.au or the Facebook page at www.facebook.com/australianpears
A little bit about pears:
Pears are a healthy snack rich in fibre, which can help lower cholesterol. According to the Glycemic Index, pears are low GI (41*), to offer longer-lasting energy.
Selection, handling and storage:
· To check if a pear is ripe, simply check the neck. When ready to eat, the flesh around the neck will give when pressed gently
· Pears soften best naturally in the fruit bowl. To speed the ripening process, place the pears in a brown paper bag with a banana – the natural gases the banana emits will hasten the ripening of the pear
· When pears are ripe, store in the fridge to keep them fresh
· If pears become extra soft, simply pop them into a soup or smoothie for added richness
