I’m all about apples in the fall, but when Goleys Orchard harvests their Bosc pears, I just can’t pass them up. I love a poached pear. This year I decided to broaden my horizons and try a couple of new recipes in addition to one I’d made before. It was definitely a bit of a “pear immersion” adventure, but the upside was enjoying different delicious pear desserts three nights in a row!
I bought two boxes of pears, allowing myself four pears for each recipe. They were perfectly ripe – firm and just slightly softening at the stem. They were easy to peel with a vegetable peeler and easy to core with a melon baller. I used the smaller end of the melon baller, placed directly over the bottom core. It usually took 3 circular scoops to ensure I’d removed the core & seeds. Firm grip!
I put the pears into a bowl of cool water with a tablespoon of lemon juice to prevent browning while I completed peeling them. I only worked on one batch of four pears at a time. I poached two batches one afternoon and the last batch the next day. Once cooled, I refrigerated each batch separately in their own syrup. Some I served chilled, some at room temperature – whatever you like!
Each recipe has their own instructions and poaching liquid ingredients, but the poaching process is basically the same for all and is not difficult. The one thing my chosen recipes had in common was cinnamon sticks! I get mine from the shop around the corner, Galena Garlic. (If yours have been in the cupboard “forever”, you should probably restock with some fresh!)
I assembled my poaching liquid ingredients in a deep saucepan (dutch oven if you’re doing more than four) and started warming the liquid while I finished peeling the pears. Bring to a boil, add pears, lower to a simmer, and poach as directed in whichever recipe you select. Simmering for 25 minutes worked each time for me.
The first recipe I made this week was Bourbon and Brown Sugar Poached Pears, and you can find the complete recipe here. Ingredients include sugar, brown sugar, bourbon, cinnamon sticks, vanilla extract, cloves, nutmeg & water. We are a bourbon-loving household, so of course this was the first recipe to make! I’m sure any bourbon would be just fine, but I went with my personal favorite, Makers Mark. We served these pears with a quenelle of vanilla ice cream when our friend Joe T came over for dinner, and it was perfect after a dinner of Ina Garten’s Parker’s Beef Stew!
My second batch was Red Wine Poached Pears, and you can find the complete recipe here. Ingredients include oranges, red wine, honey, raw or granulated sugar, cinnamon stick, and ground cardamom. The recipe mentioned a Pinot Noir as a wine suggestion, and since I had half a bottle of Meiomi Pinot Noir on the counter, I went for that! Pinot Noir is definitely one of my faves – a little lighter and goes with so many dishes. For me, it’s a between-red-and-white choice – so always good! Ken and I had these for dessert the next evening with some of that leftover yummy beef stew.
Last but not least was the recipe I’d made before, Apple Cider Poached Pears. I first made it in 2018 when my friend Michele gave me a box of Goley’s Orchard Bosc Pears. This is a Martha Stewart recipe, and I quite enjoy it. If you knew Michele, you know she loved to call me “Martha” in fun, so this was an obvious choice! Ingredients include lemon zest, cinnamon stick, ground allspice, ground pepper, apple cider and water. It’s delicate, but the allspice and pepper in the reduced & thickened syrup give it such an interesting flavor. It’s for dessert tonight!
My poached pear marathon was fun – and definitely very tasty. I enjoyed each recipe. I do think the Bourbon and Brown Sugar batch was my favorite, but I can see myself making all of them again. One at a time! LOL. I hope you’ll search out fresh Bosc pears in your area this fall. Poached, they are a treat not to be missed.
