Then I remembered what my mom used to do with summer melons, particularly cantaloupe and honeydew. She made melon balls and froze them in a light syrup. When we ate them, she served them partially frozen. They melted in our mouths, like a spoonful of sorbet.
So, I began thinking, I could freeze pears in a syrup, and serve partially frozen, and avoid the thawed mush. I looked through cookbooks, and visited extension offices online, and found you could freeze pears in a 40% solution (3 cups sugar and 4 cups water).
Freezing works best with summer pears, picked still green and ripened at room temperature, in a dark place, like a pantry. You wash, peel, core and quarter or halve pears, as if for canning. Bring to a boil, a 40% sugar solution. Simmer the prepared pears for 1 to 2 minutes. Remove the pears from the syrup, and place in freezer containers. Allow to cool. Pour cooled syrup over pears, adding 1/2 teaspoon ascorbic acid per quart of pears, to prevent discoloration. And freeze.
I have a dozen of my largest pears now ripening in the pantry, for the next few days. I'll freeze these and see how we like them served partially thawed. If we enjoy these, freezing a few pears could give us a nice change from the usual oranges, apples and other home-frozen fruit from our garden, in winter.
And what about melons?
To freeze melons, use firm melons (not overripe or mushy). Make into balls with a melon baller tool. Prepare a very light syrup in proportions of 1 cup of sugar to 1 quart of water. Cool. Place melons balls into freezer containers, leaving a bit of headroom for expansion (1/2-inch to 1-inch). Cover with the very light syrup. And freeze. Serve partially thawed (ice crystals should still be on the balls).
Fruit packed in sugar syrup should keep well, frozen, for 1 year to 1 & 1/2 years.
