Spirited Pears Recipes

PALEO PEAR BUTTER

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan, combine the pears, honey, lemon juice, cinnamon, ginger, and sea salt, and bring to a boil. Then reduce heat to a low-medium setting and cook covered for about 40-45 minutes. Stir frequently to make sure the ingredients don't burn. As the pears cook, mash them a little, if desired, to make the blending process in step four even easier.
• Next simmer for another 5-10 minutes uncovered. As a rule, cook uncovered closer to ten minutes if there is excess liquid in the pan and closer to five minutes if the mixture is already thickened and cooking hot.
• Remove from heat and let cool for a few minutes before transferring to a high-speed blender. Puree the ingredients in the blender until smooth.
• Store in a glass jar in the refrigerator for up to one week. Sprinkle with allspice just prior to serving, if desired

HOW TO CAN PEARS + SPICED PEAR CANNING RECIPE

Steps:

• Prepare your water bath canner (fill with water deep enough to cover the jars, place the wrack in it, and begin heating the water). Wash jars in hot soapy water, rinse, and place on a folded towel near the hot syrup and stove top.
• Peel pears by hand or using my super easy blanching method of 15 seconds in hot water, plunge into warm water, and peel. Keep peeled pears in a solution of lemon water (about 1/4 cup for a large bowl) to keep from turning brown.
• In a large stainless steel pot mix 5 and 3/4 cup water with 1 and 1/2 cups sugar, stir until sugar is dissolved and heat over medium low heat to almost a boil. Place the pears into the hot syrup in a single layer and let heat through for about 5 minutes.
• Fill your jar with 2 four inch cinnamon sticks & spices if using (wide mouth is the easiest to use for packing) then fill with the hot pear using a slotted spoon to a generous 1/2 inch head space. Then using a ladle and canning funnel, pour the hot syrup over the pears to a 1/2 inch head space. Remove air bubbles and double check your head spaced, adding more syrup if needed.
• Wipe the rim of the jar clean and place on lid and band. Tighten down to finger tip tight and place jar in the water bath canner.
• When you've filled the canner, make sure the surface of the water is at least 1 to 2 inches over the top of the jars and bring to a hard boil. Start the processing time after the water has reached a full boil and process 20 minutes for pints and 25 minutes for quarts.*
• *Note: if you're 1,000 feet above sea level, increase processing time by 5 minutes.
• When jars have processed, turn off the heat and remove canner lid and leave jars in the canner for 5 minutes. Then remove jars onto a folded towel in a draft free area and let cool for 24 hours.

POMEGRANATE PEAR SALAD

Steps:

• Rinse leafy greens, drain them in a colander, and set them aside.
• In a large mixing bowl, combine pomegranate arils, pears, mandarin orange wedges, raspberries, and red onion. In a separate dish, combine honey and lime juice.
• Just prior to serving, add the greens to the large mixing bowl with the fruit and gently knead the ingredients together. Stir in the honey lime dressing and top with walnuts. If using large leaf lettuce or spinach, then layer a serving bowl or individual bowls/plates with greens, top with fruit mixture, drizzle with salad dressing, and garnish with walnuts. Add salt and pepper as desired.

SPICED PEARS

Steps:

• Drain pears, reserving syrup; set the pears aside. In a small saucepan, combine the syrup, brown sugar, nutmeg and cinnamon. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add pears and simmer for about 5 minutes more or until heated through.

BRANDIED PEARS

Steps:

• Fill a large bowl halfway with cold water, and add lemon juice. Peel pears as carefully and smoothly as possible, leaving stems attached. Place pears in water as they are peeled.
• Combine sugar, cinnamon sticks, and 3 quarts water in a large stockpot. Drain pears, and add to pot. Bring mixture to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until just tender when pierced with a knife, 10 to 30 minutes, depending on size and ripeness.
• Remove pears from liquid with a slotted spoon, and divide evenly among three quart jars.
• Raise heat under pot to high, and cook liquid until reduced to 2 cups, about 50 minutes. Remove from heat; strain liquid through a sieve lined with cheesecloth into a bowl. Divide the liquid evenly among the jars, and add about 1 cup brandy, or enough to cover pears, to each. Allow jars to cool, and screw on lids. Refrigerate for several weeks before eating to allow flavors to develop.

SHIRAZ-POACHED PEARS WITH ALMOND VANILLA ICE CREAM

Steps:

• Add the Shiraz, sugar, orange peel, cinnamon stick, vanilla bean seeds and pod to a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Lay pears down on their side in the pan and reduce to simmering. Simmer on 15 minutes and then rotate pears to the other side and simmer an additional 12 to 15 minutes or until just tender when pierced with a fork.
• Remove pears from the pan and bring liquid to a boil again. Continue boiling 25 to 30 minutes or until the liquid is reduced by ⅓ and thickened. You should have at least 1 cup of syrup remaining. Strain out the aromatics with a fine mesh sieve and reserve the sauce. You can serve the pears warm with sauce, ice cream and chopped almonds or pour sauce over them and reserve in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for the next day. Pears can be eaten cold, at room temperature or re-heated in the microwave.

SPICED PEARS

Steps:

• Immediately place peeled and quartered pears in cold water with lemon juice to prevent them from turning brown.
• In a 3-gallon stockpot, blend vinegar, sugar, water and spices.
• Drain pears, add to pot and bring to a rolling boil.
• Reduce heat to simmer and cook until pears are tender and can be pierced with a fork.
• Cool then refrigerate overnight to give the flavors time to meld. Drain brine then serve.

BRANDIED PEARS

Steps:

• Remove stems and discard and then peel. Cut the fruit in half lengthwise and core . Place the pears in a glass bowl and set aside.
• To make the syrup: Combine in a large pot the water, sugar, cloves, ginger and cinnamon. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring with a wooden spoon until the sugar dissolves. Reduce the heat and simmer the syrup uncovered for 10 to 12 minutes or until slightly thickened.
• Using the wooden spoon, add the pears to the hot syrup, and stir to coat well. Raise the heat under the pears and bring the syrup to a gentle boil, carefully turning over the fruit with the spoon.
• Cook the pears, turning occasionally, for 5 to 7 minutes or until tender but not too soft when pierced with a fork. Watch the fruit carefully and don't let it scorch.
• Remove the pears from the heat and stir in the brandy. Remove the pan from the heat and set on a wire rack to cool. Then, transfer the pears to a glass or porcelain bowl, and cover with plastic wrap. Chill completely before serving.

SPICED FRESH PEARS

Steps:

• Combine the water, sugar, cinnamon, and cloves in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring the mixture to a boil and let cook for 1 minute. Remove the pan from the heat and let the mixture cool. Peel the pears (if desired) and slice them in half. Remove the seeds. Drizzle or brush the pears on all sides with the lemon juice. Place the pears in covered container. When the spiced syrup has cooled, pour it over the pears. Cover the container and place the pears in the refrigerator for 8 hours, gently turning the container occasionally to coat the pears in the syrup.

WINE POACHED PEARS

Steps:

• Peel the pears, leaving the stems on - it's prettier that way.
• In a medium saucepan, combine your wine with sugar, bring to a boil. Cook, stirring until all sugar is dissolved.
• Turn the heat down to low, add flavoring items of choice. At this point, it's a good idea to taste the syrup to make sure that the liquid is sweet enough for your taste.
• Add the pears to the pot. If they float, laying a small, heat proof dish on top to weigh them down works well.
• Cover the pot and allow the fruit to cook through to desired softness - this may happen in 10 minutes, it may take 40-60 minutes. Just poke it every once in awhile to see how it's doing.
• Once pears cooked through, remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature. Once cool, move to fridge to chill for at least an hour.
• When ready to serve, remove pears from poaching liquid.
• To make a sauce to serve with the pears, return the poaching liquid to the stove top, simmer until reduced in volume and thickened.