Peach, plum, pear

As we work our way through this winter's pantry, I've been thinking about numbers and recipes and making some notes for next year. Today, I want to talk about pears. While there are a lot of flashier fruits out there, both in appearance and flavor, I think pears might actually be my favorite. Ok, so I might change my mind when it's berry season or the stone fruits are ripe, but right now I am seriously digging them. I know that I complained about preparing them (note to self: this year, less complaining!), but the results have been pretty darn spectacular. The preserves, while maybe a touch too sweet for my taste, are delicious. The pear butter is lovely. What I'm really enjoying, though, was the easiest to prepare: pear sauce. Just a little spice and pureed pears. . . Silas digs it and so do I. I'm already thinking about how much more I'd like to have next year (is processing 80 lb. crazy?). Also, a quick google search indicates that you can blanch pears, much like one would a peach or a tomato for canning, and it greatly improves the peeling process. I don't know why that hadn't crossed my mind earlier (say, when I was in the throes of peeling pears), but it's welcome news nonetheless. Oh the possibilities!