Plump of Pears

John William Hill, Still Life of Fruit: Apples, Pears, and Grapes on Ground, 1874, National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC. 

Off in the far corner of our parking lot courtyard dwells a little Garden of Eden. In 2009, after relocating Remains to the daylight factory building that we call home, our intrepid founder David took a jackhammer to the concrete expanse and from the rubble, he planted a small grove of fruit trees which we have nurtured to fruition. 

Breaking ground on what would become the garden. 

The most bountiful fruit of the summer is the pear. We have three pear trees to be exact, but one tree has flourished to a startling degree. Its boughs bent; overladen with clusters of Anjou pears. 

When the clouds finally broke after days of torrential rain, we took it upon ourselves to rid the tree of its flavorful burden. The first harvest easily yielded a couple dozen fruit. Perhaps to reign in my greed, a heavy pear fell smack dab onto this author’s face. Metaphorically and literally, it was a little on the nose.  

For fellow pear harvesters, a word of advice: They are a climacteric fruit. Meaning that the texture and sweetness that we so dearly love can only be achieved by letting it ripen after picking. The best tasting pear should be plucked when it’s mature yet firm and left to sit for roughly one week until slightly soft. To help pass the time, I suggest arranging your bounty into a small vanitas to help pass the time. Patience may not be your virtue, but the sweet reward is worth the wait.