Q: I am trying to find the type of pear my Mom used in making pear preserves The pears would be ripe, but rock hard and a very pale green/yellowish color covered with brown specks.

A: I feel confident your mother was canning ‘Kieffer’ pears. These pears have a certain grittiness to the flesh that helps them hold their shape during processing. The fruit is enjoyed by cows and mules but cooking is the only thing that makes it palatable to humans.