Love the taste of freshly baked pear pie or cobbler? Here’s a brilliant time saving hack. Prepare fresh pears (peel, slice, season) and then freeze them in a pie dish. Once frozen, transfer the perfectly shaped and portioned pears to a freezer bag. The next time you’re in the mood for a homemade dessert, just pop the frozen pears into a crust and bake. Your future self will thank you.

Most of a pear’s fiber content is found in its skin, so if you’re eating one raw, by all means keep it on. The skin tends to toughen when cooked however, so if you are baking with pears, you might want to peel the skin first.

When it comes to pears you should hold out for “just right.” Since pears ripen off the tree from the inside out, the perfectly picked pear is really up to you! To test it’s ripeness gently press around the stem. If the fruit gives a little, the pear is likely ready to eat or is very close.

Too firm? Store in a closed paper bag on the counter for a few days at room temperature to speed up the process.

Too soft? Pears make a great addition to smoothies or soups!