Pickled Asian Pears

I love fresh Asian pears. They're different from other pears, shaped and taste more like an apple. They're nice and crispy. So why would I want to take this perfectly delicious fruit and cook it, can it and pickle it? Because even though it loses is crispy apple like crunch, you've got something new. After pickling, you've good a tart, soft, yet sweet taste, which is delicious with all sorts of things. It's good on a charcuterie plate, or as a side dish with a sandwich, or it's great in a salad. Try it with bibb lettuce and blue cheese. Delicious. These pickled pears are ready to eat in just a few days, and will keep in the refrigerator for several weeks, although the color might turn. Ingredients 2 pounds Asian pears, or any other sweet, firm pear (3-4 pears) 4 (2-inch) pieces of lemon zest Juice of 1 lemon 4 slices pickled ginger (or several slices of fresh ginger if you don't have pickled) 11⁄2 cups sugar 11⁄2 teaspoons kosher salt 1 cup white wine vinegar 2 tablespoons mirin Instructions 1.Select pears that are firm and on the small side. Peel, core and quarter. 2.Combine the lemon zest, lemon juice, ginger, sugar, salt, vinegar, and mirin in a medium saucepan off-heat. 3.Add the cut pears to the pan to coat them in the acidic brine. 4.Meanwhile, fill a second medium saucepan with water and bring it to a simmer. 5.Using a slotted spoon, transfer the pears to the simmering water, leaving behind as much of the brine as possible. 6.Simmer the pears until they turn white and are just cooked through but still quite firm, about 6 minutes. 7.Be sure not to covercook the pears. You don't want them mushy. 8.Drain the pears and transfer them to 2 clean pint jars (I used a single quart jar), packing them tightly and tucking them under the curved “shoulders” of the jar. 9.Bring the brine pot to a boil, uncovered, stirring to dissolve the sugar, about 2 minutes. 10.Once it’s boiling, turn off the heat. Divide the ginger and lemon zest between the two jars. 11.Pour the brine over the pears in the jars to cover completely (reserve the leftover brine). 12.Tighten the lids on the jars immediately and let them rest on the countertop for 1 day before moving them to the refrigerator. 13.The pears are ready to eat in 3 days, but taste even better after 5. 14.They will keep their flavor for about a month in the refrigerator, but the color will begin to change after 2 weeks.