Today we want to talk to you about the pear fox, a fruit that like the jujubes and the strawberry tree is part of the so -called forgotten fruits that nature makes available to us in the autumn. It is the fruit of the Pero Volpino, a long -lived and rustic tree with very ancient origins that in Romagna, a land of which this cultivar is original, was placed in support of the vines and still can be found in the vineyards.
The pear fox is a small and rounded fruit, with a thick and rough peel of brown-red or dark green color, often covered by a slight hair. The pulp is compact and grainy, much more firm than the common pears. Due to its hard consistency and the astringent flavor, the pear fox is not suitable for fresh consumption; To taste it at best, it must be cooked, often in the oven or boiled, perhaps accompanied by a little red or sugar wine.
History and tradition of the Pera Volpina
The cultivation of the pear fox dates back to centuries ago, when it represented an important resource for rural populations. It is an extremely resistant plant, capable of thriving in poor and difficult soils, and which requires few care. Volpine pears were often collected in autumn and kept for the winter, when they were used to prepare desserts, composed, or simply baked in the oven as a dessert.
In the peasant tradition, the pear volpine has always represented a precious food during periods of scarcity, thanks to its long shelf life and its ability to keep the nutritional properties intact even after months of the collection. Even today, in some areas of the Apennines, it is possible to find trees of spontaneous or cultivated fox pears for passion, silent witnesses of a tradition that risks going lost.
Characteristics of the pear fox
In the past, this ancient fruit grew spontaneously and has for a long time represented a means of sustenance of the mountain populations but also sorted by the foxes, hence the funny name of pear fox. The appearance of this small pear of small size (about 80 g – 100g) is not particularly captivating: the shape is rounded, a little flattened, the green but rugging peel.
The pulp is white, crunchy, grainy and very hard, so much so that even when it reaches ripening it is preferred to eat it cooked. The flavor is decided, harsh and tannic compared to the other varieties of this fruit. At the nutritional level, it is poor in sugars and calories but rich in vitamins and mineral salts, but above all of fiber.
Due to its characteristics, it does not lend itself much for raw consumption, in fact, like all forgotten fruits, he knows how to be appreciated in preserves or cooked with red wine and flavored with cinnamon and cloves. If you want to try it, you have to go to local festivals and typical events that enhance the forgotten fruits, since in large distributions, being fruits of poor relevance for the large slice of the market it is impossible to find it. Once purchased, you can keep it at room temperature throughout the winter period.
Traditional recipes with pear volpine
One of the simplest and most ancient ways to taste the pear fox, handed down by the peasant families of the mountain areas, is to cook it with chestnuts. The pears and chestnuts are boiled together in flavored water with bay leaves, creating a rustic but rich in flavor dish, perfect for the autumn and winter months.
Another classic preparation takes advantage of the abundance of red wine, such as Sangiovese, typical of Emilia-Romagna. In this recipe, the fox pears are cooked in the pot or in the oven, immersed in a mix of red wine, a little water, sugar and spices such as cinnamon and cloves. Slow cooking, about an hour, allows the liquid to reduce, transforming itself into a dense and aromatic syrup that surrounds the fruit, making it soft and fragrant, ideal to be served as a dessert.
The pear fox in the Savòr Romagna
The pear fox is also one of the main ingredients of Savòr, a traditional jam of Romagna, prepared with cooked must and local fruit. This dense and fragrant mixture combines, in addition to the pears foxes, quinces, dried figs, nuts, almonds, orange peels and pieces of melon. Savòr has usually served in combination with the pit cheese, another typical Romagna specialty, creating a perfect balance between sweetness and flavor.
Thanks to its versatility and its unique flavor, the pear fox is a fruit that, albeit forgotten, can still find space on our tables, becoming the protagonist of simple and genuine dishes, but rich in history and tradition.
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