When selecting fresh pears, choose firm fruit of good color for the variety. Surface blemishes and russeting are natural for some varieties and do not affect the fruit.
This technique is used with the Healthy Oven Pear Baklava Tutorial
HOW TO TIPS:
1. Peel each pear with a vegetable peeler. Then, lay the pear on its side and make 4 vertical cuts around the core. This will give you 4 core-free slabs of pear and the core, which you discard or compost.
2. After you cut all the pear flesh away from the cores, lay each slab on a flat side and make several vertical cuts, at 1/2 inch intervals
3. Then, take the cut slabs and make several horizontal cuts, at 1/2 inch intervals, which leave you with cubes of pear, perfect for the recipe.
4. Toss with a few teaspoons of fresh lemon juice so the cubed pears do not brown.