The Seckel Pear, or "Sugar Pear."
The Seckel Pear is small but very sweet. It makes sense that they are often referred to as “sugar pears.” Most of the time people eat them fresh (Seckels make great lunch box treats) but some prefer to mix slices poached in wine with a blue cheese and walnut salad, roast them in honey, or pickle or spice them. Ours are destined for pear butter. Like most pears, Seckels will be very firm when first picked, but they ripen well in a cool dark place.
The Seckel Pear was developed around 1800. The skin has a dull green-brown cast and may show reddish highlights. It is high in sugar and has a slightly grainy texture. The Seckel is an ideal pear for the home orchard because it is hardy and self-fertilizing. I picked these Seckel pears on a neighbor’s property. The trees were planted in the 1960’s and later neglected. Without thinning or pruning, the trees became very tall and the resulting fruit grew on branches that were simply “out of reach.” I used three sections of an aluminum snow rake handle with a small four-tined garden cultivator tool inserted in one end. Extending the pole as far above my head as possible, I was able to reach some of the now “wild” pears. This is not the most gentle of ways to pick pears, but otherwise the pears would ripen on the tree, become mealy, and fall to the ground. The deer, raccoon, squirrel, wild turkey and other animals that frequent the overgrown area will get the rest.
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September 8, 2009 at 8:12 pm09
Happy feasting, Doug! happy cooking, Barb! He only picks so you can cook
that juicy, smooth and tasty treat that makes the toast oh, soo soo sweet.