Spring is finally here! The new season conjures up visions of picnics, barbecues, fresh produce and refreshing food. Salads are perfect for this time of year: they’re healthy, easy to share, and offer endless possibilities.  Raw pear and apple makes a stunning addition to any salad and can be used in a multitude of ways. Use them to add crunch, acidity, color and a touch of sweet to your springtime salad. For inspiration, look at our collection of jaw-dropping salad recipes you’re sure to love.  Worried that your fruit will brown? Read our post Kitchen Hack: how to stop apples and pears from browning Apple pear fennel salad  Crisp, [...]

The Easter Bunny is known to be very generous with kids, sneaking chocolates and sweets into their Easter baskets. Sugary treats dominate this family holiday, so why not plan some fun food crafts with healthy foods like apples and pears? The kids will love it!  Crank up the fun for the whole family with these recipes for simple, kid-friendly and tasty activities: Apple Easter baskets  These adorable Easter baskets are a cinch to make! Using apples, yoghurt and coconut makes this a lighter holiday treat.  Source: Chelan Fresh  Bunny head fresh fruit platter  Imagine a glorious fruit platter in the shape of… the Easter Bunny. That’s [...]

The Aztecs believed chocolate was a gift from the gods and would brew it to benefit from its supposed aphrodisiac powers. Today, chocolate is still very much associated with love and romance, and it continues to be a top selling Valentine’s Day gift.   This year, romance your sweetheart on Valentine’s Day with chocolate… and fruit! This classic combination will be a surefire hit for anyone with a sweet tooth.   Here are some recipes to make your special day a total success:  Pear recipes Chocolate pear Valentine’s hearts  Say it with chocolate and pears! As beautiful as they are delicious, these picture perfect tarts will make a wonderful treat for your [...]

Pairing fruit with cheese is classic for a reason. It’s absolutely delicious!  There are so many varieties of apple and pear, so have fun mixing and matching them with all the different types of cheese out there. Here are some of our favorite combinations:  Honeycrisp apples are wonderful with tart, firm or semi-firm cheeses like cheddar or smoked gouda  Granny Smith apples pair beautifully with soft mild cheeses such as brie or camembert  Fuji apples work best with firm, aged, tart cheeses like pecorino, parmesan and manchego  D’Anjou pears are delectable paired with a creamy, tangy goat cheese  Bartlett pears are stunning when paired with salty brined cheeses such as feta and halloumi  Bosc pears sing when combined with soft or [...]

It’s the final stretch – less than 2 left weeks left until Christmas. Black Friday is long gone and so is Cyber-Monday. Millions of shopped-out Americans have sore feet and bruised bank accounts but are still trying to find that perfect gift.   Oftentimes the best presents aren’t the most expensive or trendy, but those that are personal, thoughtful, and make you feel warm and fuzzy inside. This holiday season, show everyone how much you care with homemade edible gifts that will impress and regale your friends, colleagues and family.   Whether you’re looking for hostess gift ideas, a fun treat to bring to the office, or an original stocking stuffer, our selection of edible holiday gifts featuring apples and pears is [...]

Apples and pears, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways.  These crowd-pleasing fruit are as healthy as they are versatile. In addition to being low in calories, both are high in fiber, vitamin C and bursting with antioxidants. In the kitchen, apples and pears can take center stage in sweet as well as savory recipes. Poached, grilled, baked, or simply raw, apples and pears deliver a jolt of sweetness and acidity that pleases the palate and satisfies the senses. As the weather turns colder and the holidays approach, apples and pears make the perfect addition to warming and comforting dishes. To help you enjoy them in fresh and exciting ways, we’ve selected [...]

Fall is in the air, can you feel it? It is always hard to see summer go and take all of it’s juicy, sweet fruit with it. The only one thing that helps to ease the pain of summer’s end is knowing that pears are just around the corner. Pears of all shapes and colors, waiting for us to pull out our oven mitts and get cooking. And, like any fruit, there is the right variety for every job. But before we explore the many virtues of each variety, lets talk about how to properly care for your pears so you make the [...]

Why cherry growers use helicopters. When it comes to harvesting fruit, orchardists in North Central Washington take their final product very seriously. During the few final weeks of cherry season, it's exceptionally critical to take care of the fruit still on the tree. Ideal cherry forecasts call for blue, clear, sunny skies and warm, dry days. But typical spring and early summer Pacific Northwest weather also brings potential rain to farmers. In years' passed, when the spring rains covered the cherry crops, many orchardists lost their entire crops because of the late-season water damage. Once the cherries start turning red (or have ripened to the [...]