I grew up with pears and always loved them. Mom often bought canned pears year-round, but a ripe one was delicious. Juices dripping down my chin. I loved savoring the last bite. Maple syrup is collected all throughout New England, and even as a child I knew the difference from Aunt Jemima’s and the real thing. My own children didn’t develop the love of maple syrup until they were grown. As military kids, the commissary rarely shelved pure maple syrup and when it did the budget wasn’t splurging on that. Still, those rare moments we had a stack of pancakes, butter not margarine, and dripping with the gift from the maples well it was pure heaven.
Over the years, my older son shipped pears to his brother for Christmas and or his birthday. Some were huge and had to be shared. As they ripened, you could eat them with a spoon to catch all the nectar. The sweetness was better than candy.
Last year, while I was living at the farmhouse in the Catskills, I harvested a large pear crop and waited patiently for them to ripen. My friend and I processed them into pear jam and chutney. What fun cooking in the kitchen and filling the house with the spices. It smelled like Christmas in October.
This year, I bought some pears, still delicious, but as much fun as picking your own. Today, I made healthy pear crumb bars without the icing on top. Lighter sweetness with maple syrup to gently sweeten. A version can be found online even made gluten free. Enjoy!
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