Dried pears

[Catherine Iino]

I love dried pears, to eat out of hand, to use in biscotti and muffins. I could buy them in bulk in my supermarket much of the time, or I could get them in my health food store (even though I like the sulfured kind). A year or two ago, they simply disappeared from my corner of the world--Connecticut and Rhode Island. Can't even get the expensive, prepackaged brand name kinds. There doesn't seem to be a fresh pear shortage. Does anybody know what happened?

[JeanneCake]

Now that you bring it up, it's been a while since I've seen dried pears at the market.

You could get them mail order at Sunnyland Farms - I have always had great products from here.

[baroness]

Nuts Online click here! has lovely dried pears.

[Wholemeal Crank]

It's been harder and harder to find them for quite a few years now. 12 years ago, when I lived in San Francisco, I had lots of options--great ones at the farmer's market but they were easy to find in lots of grocery stores and the corner produce markets. But when I moved to St Louis, it became a bit of a chore. I think the vile flavored cranberries and the mainstreaming of dried tropical fruits pushed them out of the mainstream. Still, it wasn't until the last year, living in Los Angeles, that I finally had to resort to mail order when scouring the farmer's markets, ethnic groceries, and produce shops failed to turn them up.

It's very frustrating to see them disappear, because they're unique in the mild but distinct flavor they bring together with that nice chewy texture, their affinity for walnuts and chocolate and ginger, and outside of baking, everyone I've shared them with plain has always liked them. I did resort to dried apricots one time for pfefferneuse but there was definitely something missing....

[Catherine Iino]

Thank you all for your replies. Yes, I'll order them--since I agree with WC about all their special qualities--but still, it's weird the way things just disappear from the marketplace. Same thing has happened with peanut oil. All of a sudden, gone from supermarkets, even Asian food stores around here. The other day, I found one small bottle on the top shelf of a Shaw's, after a couple of years of looking. Now, Shaw's has pulled out of Connecticut altogether. Strange, I tell you.

[Catherine Iino]

Thanks to Baroness for the recommendation of Nuts Online. I placed a large order around noon one day and received it the next, in CT, paying for the least expensive postage. I was amazed. The quality of the pears (and the almond flour I also ordered) is good.

[Edward J]

Love dried pears, and hate the sulphured ones. Like you, I can't seem to find any--other than sulphered ones.

My solution?

Bought a $89 dehyradtor and make my own. Don't bother with lemon juice or citric acid, just peel, slice and stick in the dehyrator, 12 hrs later, they're ready