So-so pears for canning?

[Carmen]

OK someone told me they had some pears I could have, for canning. I asked what kind they were, they did not know, and said "they don't taste the best, they'd be fine for canning". Am I wrong in assuming that if they dont' taste great, there's not much point in canning them? Is there something in the canning process that will make them taste better? They'd be totally free, so I'm tempted b/c of that...but I dont' want to go to the work of it if it's pointless.

[Violet]

I would taste them first. If they are not the best, then maybe you can make fruit leather and mix with another fruit or berry.

 

[Carmen]

Well I dont' have a dehydrator so I can't make fruit leather.

[Dee]

We had a pear tree at our place years ago. Those pears never ripened at the same time. Some were hard as a rock, others were ripe. I tried different things each year. Cooking the harder ones until tender and then canning. Trying to sort the ripe from the less ripe, from the hard as a rock. I tried canning them for 4 or 5 years and simply gave up. Maybe others have had better luck and they can help you, I hope so

 

They did taste good though

[Ambergris]

Some pears do improve dramatically when cooked. You know those thick carrots that taste all soapy and nasty raw, but cook up beautifully? Really, same with pears. There are dessert pears and cooking pears.

 

Also, they might be hard pears or sand pears that are simply not the ones people are used to in the stores. Peel one, since some of them have bitter skins, and taste the flesh inside. If you're not impressed, try at the thick end, and near the core. If it's sweet and rich at the core, it might need to ripen more.

 

I have used low-flavor pears in fruit soup, and have cooked them with a pork roast in a slow cooker. I've also used them for chicken feed.

 

I also got a load of "pears" once that turned out to be quince, and THAT was a delightful haul. Quince tastes like an acorn raw, but cooked it turns all pink and mellow. (It smells wonderful, much more flowery than pears.)

[Crazy4Canning]

Try them and see. If they're not firm enough for canning, you can make lots of things with pear sauce - breads, etc.