The Old School Fruit Pie Flavor That Still Deserves A Seat At The Table
If we asked you to name five pies, you could probably double that number without even trying. Botanicals like apple and cherry would likely dominate the fruit category proper, with key lime and lemon meringue easing the discussion into custards, and those (mostly) no-bake banana cream babies diverging even further. And you might even wade into savories before you landed on one wonderful filling that seems to have fallen out of favor: pear.
While ye olde pear pie recipes have popped up throughout history, some dating back to Shakespearean England, they just aren't terrifically ubiquitous today. Some folks might find pears a bit finicky to work with, as they're already quite soft when ripe, and thus more liable to render to mush in the oven versus something like the hearty apple. Some might not like pears' finely granulated texture. Or maybe because Granny Smith's inertia is just impossible to stop at this point, the pear doesn't quite enjoy its share of the pie spotlight. But, done right, these sweet, juicy fruits can make for quite the slice.
Making the most of pears for pie at home
While plenty of bakery-worthy apple pie preparations soften those slices before they're baked to ensure a tender bite, you're negotiating the opposite issue with supple pears. While soaking or par-cooking can help in the former case, one can't exactly un-ripen the latter. So firmer pears are the obvious swap to employ to begin with. Start out with a classic emoji-model Bartlett, and make sure to gather only those with minimal give when pressed with gentle pressure.
From there, your pear pie is likely just a little less labor intensive than the apple you might be used to, precisely because you don't need to warm up any wedges in advance. A couple of easily dressed-up, store-bought pie crusts, plus healthy portions of sugar and that old multitasker, cinnamon, along with a bit of butter and lemon juice, will really make this sometimes overlooked pie filling really shine. At least after about 45 minutes in a 450-degree oven.