One Pound Pears!

  Just off the back porch, there are two pear trees...one on either side of the steps.  The trees have been there for ten years or there about so they are getting quite large.  In fact, Son had to trim the limbs this past year because they were too large.  I figured that may have put a damper on us getting any pears this year but the trees were loaded.  Then, along came squirrels and coons. They feasted upon the unripe pears before moving on to the muscadines and figs.  Still, dozens of pears hung on the trees.  It gave me hope that I would have some to can for the winter.  This past week, Son helped me pick the pears and two dozen jars were canned and put on the shelf.  The peels and cores provided enough juice to make a half dozen jars of pear syrup that was added to the shelf, as well.  Not much goes to waste.

  While I was happy to get any pears at all, what surprised me was the size of the fruit.  Anjou pears normally weigh about a half pound each.  We did have a few that size but the majority weighed about a full pound!  One pear filled both hands!  This made for some easy canning, to say the least. 

  One thing come to mind about the large fruit.  Perhaps the proximity to the porch had something to do with it.  I have a habit of never putting any kitchen scraps in the garbage can.  Instead, everything goes to the compost pile.  Well, almost everything.  If there is only a tiny amount of scraps, I have a habit of dropping it off the porch near the pear trees.  We have two box turtles that feast upon these few tidbits but sometimes they do not come to eat.  I also have the habit of emptying all coffee grounds near the trees. The scraps and daily coffee grounds are the only fertilizer the trees ever receive.  Perhaps my laziness about traipsing to the compost pile has proved to be a boon for the pear trees!  Something worked anyway!