Today I peeled pears.  Bushels a plenty grace the hardwood floor of my Mom’s cabin. From my earliest memories she has been a forager, a gatherer. She preserves abundance. She, like her grandmother and her grandmother before her, pass down peace though preservation.

Pears are good fall medicine. They are eaten in season to support the lung during the transition to cooler, dryer weather. In Chinese medicine they are revered for clearing heat and reducing phlegm from the lung, while generating necessary moisture. Pears are used for dry coughs and dry sore throats. They are also used to treat dry constipation as the Large Intestine is the paired organ of the Lung.

I experience a certain tranquility in the handling of these late summer crops. My hands enjoy circling the fruit and my eyes delight in seeing the ribbons of golden skin fall into the Tupperware bowl. In my hand is my Mom’s favorite paring knife. The wooden handle is worn and the blade is freshly sharp. While my hands are accustomed to the fine work of acupuncture needling, they fall quickly into the familiar delight of processing food.

In Chinese medicine, the energetic qualities of foods are considered in the treatment of disease.  Pears, for example, have the following profile:

Temperature: cool to cold

Taste: sweet & slightly sour

Affinity: Lung, Stomach, Large Intestine

Actions: Moisten dryness, Clear heat & nourish yin,

resolve phlegm, relieve thirst, detoxify

The way we choose to prepare a food depends on the therapeutic goal.

Raw pears are cold in nature. Therefore they are useful for constipation that is dry  in nature as well as heat conditions like sore throat, fever or red eyes.

The cooking process changes the energy of foods. It renders it warmer and easier to digest. Therefore, cooked food is better suited for those with weaker digestion.

Boiling, poaching or steaming enhances the ability to moisturize and soothe.  This is why steamed pears are a common prescription for dry cough. Baking pears may be used for overall dryness like chapped lips and dry skin. Herbs & spices can also be used in the cooking process.  Often cinnamon is paired with pears due to its warming nature. The warm spice changes the temperature to neutral.

The kitchen is the earth element of the home. It is one of the most important rooms in a dwelling. May it be always be a place of peace & plenty.

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