Poached Pears In White Wine
Sweetly spiced poached pears that will keep for a few weeks if needed. The pears are simmered in dessert wine for a luxurious flavour along with lemon and spices. It takes the idea of tinned pears up to a whole new level. Delicious served as is, but also good with ice cream. Makes a fabulous edible gift.
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Perfect Pears
If you’re lucky enough to get your hands on a properly ripe pear, you’re in for a treat. One of my favourite memories from a cycling holiday in France is a pear related one. Sitting on the side of a quiet road in France with my bike in the sunshine and eating a slab of cheese and a juicy ripe pear. It really was one of the best lunches I’ve ever had.
Sadly, I find ripe pears difficult to get hold of. The window of opportunity between a hard pear and one that’s falling apart or, even worse, woolly, is a very small one.
Ideally, for this recipe, you want pears that are just starting to turn ripe. That is to say, sweet and juicy, but still firm. If, however, you end up with pears that aren’t quite ripe, just cook them for ten minutes longer than the recipe suggests.
Choose just ripe pears that are still firm to the touch. Squishy pears will disintegrate if you try and poach them. Bosc, Anjou, Packham, Concorde, William and Conference pears poach well. Bartlett and Comice are not so good as they’re generally not firm enough. Having said that, some people swear by them. So take your pick.
If you’re lucky enough to come across quinces, I have a lovely recipe for poached quinces in this quince tart post.
Dessert Wine
In the UK, dessert wines are those classified as naturally sweet wines that you drink at the end of a meal, usually with dessert. Sugar is never added to make them sweet, but they must have a minimum of 45 grams of naturally occurring sugar per litre of wine. Some of the best known dessert wines are fortified ones such as Port, Madeira, Sherry and Marsala.
However, for this recipe, fortified wines are all rather too rich and heavy. You need something light and fruity. I’ve a few suggestions below.
In the US, dessert wine is a legal entity and has a rather different definition. It’s any wine with 14% alcohol by volume (ABV) or over. And because of this it’s taxed at a higher rate. Many UK dessert wines are well below 14%.
Most dessert wines are expensive. So by all means use a cheaper and drier white wine for poached pears instead. You’ll just need to add sugar.
Which Unfortified White Wines Are Sweet?
Gewürztraminer
Gewürztraminer (pronounced guh-voorts-truh-meener) is a sweet white wine from the Alsace region of France. It is, however, a German name. It has floral tones and notes of lychee. I’ve never tried it, but I’ve heard it pairs particularly well with pears.
Moscato
Moscato (pronounced mo-ska-toh) is a sweet Italian wine known for its floral and fruity notes. Made from the muscat grape, this white wine is a dessert wine with a hint of fizz. It marries well with pears.
Moscato D’Asti is the most well known wine made with this grape variety in Italy. It comes from the Piedmont region, in the north west of the country. By law the ABV must be 5.5% or lower.
This grape variety is also known as muscat in France, moscatel in Spain and muskateller in Germany and Austria.
Reisling
Reisling (pronouced reez-ling) is a light fizzy white wine from Germany. It has acidic notes which cuts though the sweetness and makes it a good wine to use for poached pears.
Sauternes
Sauternes (pronounced so-tern) comes from the French region of Sauternais in Bordeaux. The wine is made with three varieties of white grapes which are purposefully infected with the Botrytis fungus (noble rot) to sweeten them. It’s a good choice for poached pears as it’s a sweet dessert wine with notes of honey, peaches and apricots. Luckily, it has enough acidity to stop it from being cloying. It is, however, one of the more expensive wines.
Tokaji Aszu
Tokaji Aszu (pronounced toe-kay-ah-shu) is a sweet Hungarian white wine from the Tokaj region. It’s known as “the wine of kings” due to a widespread royal predilection for its taste in Europe and beyond. Like Sauternes, Tokaji Aszu is made with botrytised grapes. In fact, it’s the world’s oldest wine produced from the Botrytis fungus, first developed around 1600.
In order to be called Aszu, the wine must have a minimum of 120 grams of residual sugar per litre of wine. It also has to age in oak barrels for a minimum of eighteen months. The wine is golden in hue and is said to have the perfect balance between sweetness and acidity.
Vin Santo
Vin Santo (pronounced vin-san-toe) is another Italian dessert wine. It comes from the central Italian region of Tuscany. White grapes are left on racks or straw mats to dry out in the sun. This concentrates both their sweetness and flavour. It has dried fruit and caramel tones with a low acidity.
Whilst delicious to drink, it’s not the best wine for poached pears. It is, however, the best wine in which to dip your biscotti.
Ice Wine
Ice wines (Eiswein in German) are those made from grapes which are naturally frozen on the vine. Freezing concentrates the sugars and flavour and creates a very sweet wine. The technique was developed in Germany and Austria, but ice wine is mostly made in Canada these days. It has a high acidity level as well as a sweet one.
How To Poach Pears
Pears poached in white wine are so delicious. They make for a simple dessert, yet a luxurious one.
This recipe makes one 500ml jar to serve 4-6 people. However, if you have lots of pears to use, just scale the recipe up.
As well as pears and white wine, you only need a lemon and a few aromatics. I use bay leaves, a cinnamon stick, cloves and cardamom pods. You could scratch those and use a vanilla pod instead.
If using a dessert wine such as Sauternes seems like a bit of an extravagance, use a dry white wine instead. You’ll need to add sugar, but that’s okay.
Top Tip
A standard bottle of dessert wine is 37.5 litres, which leaves you with a chef’s bonus of a 50ml glass to enjoy.
Prepare Pears
Peel the pears with a vegetable peeler or paring knife. Take care to remove as little of the flesh as possible. Cut the pears into quarters, then take out the hard cores. Finally slice the quarters in half.
Peel, core and slice one pear at a time and drop into a bowl with the juice of half a lemon. Turn the pears to coat them in the juice. This stops them from going brown whilst you prepare the remaining fruit.
Top Tip
Peel thin strips of skin, minus the pith, from the lemon before cutting and juicing. You need these to poach the pears.
Poach Pears
Place the wine into a medium sized saucepan along with the lemon peel and other aromatics. Bring the liquid to the boil then drop the pears in, including any juice left in the bowl.
Turn the heat down so the fruit is cooking at a gentle simmer. Poach for five to ten minutes, depending on how ripe your pear is and how small your slices are. Leave the lid off the pan to allow some of the liquid to evaporate, which will concentrate the sugar a little more and help preserve the fruit.
The fruit is ready when the slices have softened a little, but still hold their shape well.
Jar And Seal Poached Pears
As soon as you remove the pan from the heat and whilst the pears and liquid are still hot, transfer the fruit and aromatics to a warm sterilised jar or jars. I use 500ml clip-top jars*.
Top up the jar with the poaching liquid and seal immediately. Leave to cool completely before storing in a cool dark place.
Store for at least three days to allow the flavours to develop.
Top Tip
Turn the jar(s) upside down as soon as you’ve sealed them. Then leave to cool. This ensures no condensation forms on the lid and also helps to keep the contents sterile. Turn it the right way up before storing.
Do You Peel Pears Before Poaching?
Yes you do. Peel the pears with a vegetable peeler or pairing knife. Once you’ve done that, quarter the pears and cut out the hard core. Unlike apples, there’s not much to a pear core, so you don’t waste too much of the fruit.
How Long Do Poached Pears Keep?
If you poach pears in a sweet wine syrup, as I have done, they will keep in a sealed sterilised jar for three months. Just ensure you keep the jars in a cool dark place. Once opened, keep in the fridge and eat within five days.
How To Serve Poached Pears
For the best flavour, leave the pears to marinade in their spicy syrup for a few days before tucking in.
Serve on their own, with whipped cream, with Norwegian cream or with ice cream for an easy dessert. Alternatively serve them alongside pancakes and/or with a drizzle of chocolate sauce.
If you prefer to eat your poached pears warm, simply drain the poaching syrup into a pan. Heat to a simmer, then gently drop the pears into the pan. Simmer for three minutes or until heated through.
Top Tip
Try them with cheese. They make a delicious accompaniment to a cheese board.
Other Pear Recipes You Might Like
- Caramelised pear & honey carob cake (gluten-free)
- Chocolate pear upside down cake
- Easy ginger & pear honey cakes
- Green smoothie bowl with pear, avocado & almonds (vegan)
- Pear almond butter (vegan)
Keep in Touch
Thanks for visiting Tin and Thyme. If you make these pears poached in dessert wine, I’d love to hear about it in the comments below. And do please rate the recipe. Have you any top tips? Do share photos on social media too and use the hashtag #tinandthyme, so I can spot them.
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Choclette x
Poached Pears. PIN IT.
Poached Pears In White Wine
Equipment
Ingredients
- 6 small pears
- 325 ml sweet white wine (I used Sauternes)
- 1 lemon
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 3 whole cloves
- 3 cardamom pods
- 1 bay leaf
Instructions
- Carefully pare strips of peel from the lemon. Make sure not to include any of the pith, which is bitter.1 lemon
- Peel the pears with a vegetable peeler or pairing knife, taking care to remove as little of the flesh as possible.6 small pears
- Slice them into quarters, then cut out the cores. Slice the quarters in half, so you have eight pieces for each pear. In order to stop the pears from browning, place them in a bowl as you slice. Squeeze the juice from half the lemon over the pears and turn them over each time you add more slices so that they’re all covered.
- Pour the wine into a medium sized pan. Add the sugar, bay leaf, spices and lemon peel. Bring the pan slowly to the boil and stir to ensure the sugar has dissolved.325 ml sweet white wine, 1 cinnamon stick, 3 whole cloves, 3 cardamom pods, 1 bay leaf
- As soon as the liquid is boiling, add the pear slices together with any juice. Reduce the heat to a slow simmer and poach for five to ten minutes or until the pears have softened slightly, but still hold their shape.
- Remove the pears and spices with a slotted spoon and transfer to a sterilised jar or jars. Top up with the poaching liquid and seal. Turn the jar(s) upside down immediately and leave to cool.
- Turn the jar(s) the correct way up and store in a cool dark place for up to three months.
Notes
Top Tip
A standard bottle of dessert wine is 37.5 litres, which leaves you with a chef’s bonus of a 50ml glass to enjoy.Please note: calories and other nutritional information are per serving. They’re approximate and will depend on exact ingredients used.Nutrition Estimate
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Sugar not listed in ingredients.
Thanks
If you’re using a dessert wine, you don’t really need sugar. There’s a note at the bottom of the recipe as to how much sugar you should use if poaching with a dry white wine instead.
Thanks! I’m a “jump to the recipe and do it” type.
I’ve now used the basic idea for both pears and kiwi issai (the small grape-sized kiwi that you eat whole). Both worked well and are bottled up for winter delight.
Lovely, it’s so very satisfying. I’ve never tried doing anything with those kiwi, other than eat them. But what a good idea. The notes re: sugar are in the recipe card. It always pays to scan the recipe first, though I’m a bit like you and have come a cropper because of it.
So simple yet sophisticated !
Thanks Jenn. Yes good way of putting it. Pears have a certain elegance about them.
This was lovely with ice cream. I will be preparing these pears again for the holiday season!
Ice cream is a good call. Glad you enjoyed them Holly.
Delicious, and so easy to make! Thanks for sharing
Glad you like them Jacqui. Easy does it for me.
These pears turned out pear-fect!! I love homemade gifts and think these will be just the thing to make this year for the holidays!
Hahaha, pearfect sounds good to me. So glad you liked the pears and they do make great gifts. Thanks for your feedback.
Love this recipe! It’s a great way to preserve pears.
It really is. I’m just waiting for the day we have a pear tree and then I’ll really need this recipe.
The poached pears came out deliciously! I am making more to give them as holiday gifts! Thanks for the recipe!
So pleased you like them Tavo. They make great festive gifts.
Fantastic recipe! Such a delicious way to preserve pears.
Thank you Janice. All I need now is a pear tree.