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.
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
You can use dry white wine instead of dessert wine, but you'll need less of it. Use 250ml of wine and 100g of golden caster sugar.Keep for at least three days to allow the flavours to develop.Delicious served straight from the jar.To serve warm, drain the liquid into a pan. Bring to a gently boil and tip in the pears. Simmer for three minutes to ensure the pears are hot all the way through. Then serve.See my guide on How To Sterilise Glass Jars and Lids.You’ll find additional tips and info about this recipe in the main body of the post.
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.