I've been checking on the fig tree and I do have figs, yet they seem to be staying endlessly green. I am enamored by figs. There's just something about them. I honestly think it's just that I didn't grow up even knowing what a fig was and then when I figured out what they were and that I could actually grow them . . . well, that was all she wrote!! They are one of my favorite fruits now. They are such a delicacy.
I will probably spend most of the day working up pears and am looking forward to getting preserves in my pantry. Pear preserves are very difficult to find at stores and I find that kind of amazing. Pear trees exist in almost everyone's back yard in this neighborhood; but you never seem to be able to find preserves, anywhere. I also note that a lot of people don't realize all the ways you can enjoy this divine fruit. One of the best ways to enjoy pears is by poaching them. They are simply scrumptious! I've put a recipe on my Recipes page for you to follow. Many times I simply take whatever fruit juice I have and add just enough water to cover the pears and poach them whole. I love using darker juices because they color the pears and make them look like jewels. I then take some of the juice, add sugar or honey and cook it down to make a syrup. When I'm ready to serve the poached pears, warm or cold, I put a little puddle of syrup on the plate, put the pear in the middle and then drizzle the syrup over the pears and perhaps add a little whip cream and sometimes sliced almonds. Oh my gosh, it's simply beautiful and delicious! Oh, and don't forget to save a few little leaves to add to the top of your pears to make them look like they were picked straight off the tree. They look incredibly adorable!
------------------------------
I peeled a half bushel of pears today and will use the other half bushel tomorrow for pear sauce . . . but today I canned 7 quarts of pears, 6 pints and 3 half pints of pear preserves. I used a recipe out of an old Kerrr Home Canning Book that I've had for years for the pear preserves but changed it up a little by adding 2 vanilla beans. First I split the beans and scraped the luscious seeds from the inside out into the pot of chopped pears and then threw in the pods for good measure. I took them out before canning up the preserves. You really ought to be here with me. Wish you could taste it. It's like some wonderful, sweet ambrosia. Mercy!!