Poached Pears Recipe

By
Lauren Weisenthal
Lauren Weisenthal is a contributing writer at Serious Eats.
Lauren Weisenthal
Lauren Weisenthal was the author of the Pie of the Week and Sweet Technique columns for Serious Eats. From 2017–2021, she ran a restaurant called The Nightingale in Vinalhaven, Maine.
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Updated April 19, 2019
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Lauren Weisenthal

Poached pears make a great dessert on their own, but my favorite use for them is as an ingredient in baked goods. Poaching the pears before using them in quick breads, muffins, cakes, and pies gives them vibrant, spicy flavor and ensures that they won't be undercooked or dried out. Feel free to customize the spice combination that you use to your taste.

Recipe Details

Poached Pears Recipe

Active 60 mins
Total 2 hrs
Serves 6 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 quart water

  • 1 cup sugar

  • 1/4 cup honey

  • 1 cup dry white wine

  • 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced

  • 1 yield from 1 pod vanilla bean

  • 2 star anise

  • 2 cinnamon sticks

  • 6 whole peeled pears (Bartlett, Bosc, or Anjou, on the slightly under-ripe side)

Directions

  1. Combine water, sugar, honey, wine, ginger, vanilla bean, star anise, and cinnamon sticks in a large pot and bring to a simmer. Add the pears, taking care that they are all covered by the poaching liquid.

  2. Cut a round of parchment large enough to cover the pot with an extra inch around the sides. Cut a 1 inch hole in the center of parchment and press the round, with the hole directly in the center, directly on top of poaching liquid.

  3. Simmer pears in the liquid until they are fork-tender and slightly translucent (depending on the pears, this can take anywhere from 45 minutes to 1 hour) Allow pears to cool in liquid before serving or using for baking. To serve, cut the pears in half the long way and scoop out the seeds with a melon ball scoop. Cut out the pith from the stems and the base.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
111Calories
0gFat
28gCarbs
0gProtein
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6
Amount per serving
Calories111
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 0g0%
Saturated Fat 0g0%
Cholesterol 0mg0%
Sodium 3mg0%
Total Carbohydrate 28g10%
Dietary Fiber 4g13%
Total Sugars 22g
Protein 0g
Vitamin C 5mg24%
Calcium 16mg1%
Iron 0mg2%
Potassium 135mg3%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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