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Oklahoma Agriculture in the Classroom

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Food & Fun Recipes

Free-Form Pear Tart

Ingredients (Serves 8)
  • 1 ¼ c all-purpose flour
  • inch salt
  • 3 T sugar
  • 9 T cold butter
  • 1 egg yok
  • 3-4 pears, peeled, cored and very thinly sliced
  • 2 T brown sugar

(or use flour tortillas as crust)

Instruction
  1. Combine flour, salt and sugar.
  2. Cut 8 T butter into the flour mixture with a pastry blender.
  3. Add the egg yolk and blend.
  4. Add cold water a tablespoon at a time, stirring after each addition.
  5. After 3-4 T you should be able to gather mixture into a ball. Wrap the ball in plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or freeze for about 15 minutes.
  6. Heat oven to 400 degrees.
  7. Roll or pat the dough into a 10-inch circle. It can be quite crude in shape.
  8. Place it on a cookie or pizza sheet lined with parchment paper.
  9. Arrange fruit slices on top all the way to the edges. Students may want to create designs with the fruit.
  10. Sprinkle with brown sugar. Cut remaining butter into bits and top fruit with it.
  11. Bake until crust is nicely browned and fruit is tender, 20-30 minutes.
Pear Trivia
  • Pear is the common name for about 20 species of trees of a genus in the rose family, and for their fruit. The common pear is native to Europe; the Chinese sand pear is native to the Orient. Both species are extensively cultivated for their fruit in cool, humid, temperate regions throughout the world.
  • The fruit of a pear tree is a pome, juicier than the apple, and varying from apple-shaped to teardrop-shaped. Among different varieties, the thin skin varies in color from light yellow and green through red and brown. The thick flesh varies in flavor among different varieties. In young, unripe common pears, and in young and mature Chinese sand pears, the flesh contains numerous gritty cells called stone cells.
  • Pears are gathered from the trees before they are completely ripe and are allowed to ripen in storage. Cold retards ripening, and heat speeds it. Pears are eaten fresh and canned.
  • Pears are not grown commercially in Oklahoma, but they are grown extensively in home orchards. Pears were one of the major crops listed in early censuses of agricultural production in the state in the years leading up to and after statehood.
  • Pears contain about 16 percent carbohydrate and negligible amounts of fat and protein. They are good sources of the B-complex vitamins and also contain vitamin C; in addition, they contain small amounts of phosphorus and iodine. Fresh pears offer dietary fiber, much of it in the form of pectin. A pear weighing 166 grams provides 2.32 grams of crude fiber, and 4 grams of dietary fiber, of which 41 percent is pectin. Fiber contains no calories, and is a necessary element of a healthy diet.
  • There are several different varieties of pears available from the supermarket. Here are some of the more common varieties.
    • Anjou stays light green when ripe and is good for eating raw or cooking. Red anjou have a dark red skin with a contrasting creamy interior. They cost more than green anjou.
    • Bartlets are sweet and juicy. They turn yellow and may have a pink blush as they ripen. This is the most popular pear and the one most commonly used for canning and drying. Also called the yellow or green Bartlett, and the Williams pear. Red Bartlett pears have bright red skin and are more costly. Also known as the Red Sensation pear.
    • Bosc pears are firm, hold their shape when cooked, and have long, elegant necks. Not as juicy, this is a crunchier pear when eaten raw. Also called the Golden Pear.
    • The comice is the perfect snacking pear because it is sweet and juicy. Also nice for a dessert or with cheese. It is more costly than the others.
    • Concord pears are tender, sweet, juicy, and creamy, with a hint of vanilla flavor. They havea smooth texture and are not at all grainy like some other pears. They also have long necks, much like the Bosc.
    • Packham is smooth, sweet, and juicy with bumpy skin and white flesh. Also known as Triumph. A specialty from Australia and a favorite fruit there. Can be eaten fresh or cooked. Unlike some other pears, this pear stays green even when ripe.
    • The seckel pear is smaller and sweeter and is therefore the perfect lunchbox pear.