Poached Pears {Fragrant & Juicy}

I’ve always enjoyed poached fruit. Especially pears and apples! But pears have a lovely softness when poached and they are quite fragrant too. They are tender, juicy and full of flavor. 

Making poached pears it’s quite simple and only requires a few ingredients. Any kind of pears can be used in this recipe just be sure to start with firm under-ripe pears. When making pears poached my favorites are Bosc Pears,they look and smell delightful to me, and they are perfect for poaching.

Poaching is a gentle process, and it also enhanced the taste of pears while cooking them. The liquid used in Poaching Pears is flavored with a combination of different spices; vanilla beans, cinnamon, anise, cloves, lemon zest, orange zest, fresh ginger and also wine--depending upon your preference. Cooking dessert from scratch cannot get easier than this, don't you think! 

In this recipe I used; water, sugar, cardamom seeds, lemon zest and some fresh ginger. This combination works perfectly well together and makes the syrup intensely flavorful, that if you are like me, you’ll want to drink the syrup straight up.

 

I really like making poaching pears, and the good thing about it  is that either you could make these in the morning to serve them in the evening, or the day before serving. 

Whether it is a casual or fancy occasion, poached pears are always delicious and elegant. However, I think they are great at any time of the day. I enjoyed poached pears quite a lot, for breakfast with plain yogurt and some cereal. As a healthy snack, when I’m in mood for something sweet. And as a dessert I usually serve them on their own, alongside a cake or with a scoop—or two :)-- of ice cream.

Poached Pears
serves 4 
 
4 medium to large, Bosc firm pears
fresh mint, for garnish (optional)

For the Syrup:

1 l water
250 g sugar
Strip of lemon zest
5 cm / 2 inch piece of fresh ginger (ginger- root), peeled and sliced
2-3 cardamom seeds

Preparation:
In a shallow saucepan add all the syrup ingredients over low heat, until sugar is dissolved. When the sugar has dissolved, bring to the boil for 20 minutes. Then immediately remove from heat and let it cool down for about 10 minutes.
In the meantime peeled the pears—preferable use a vegetable peeler-- and leave whole. Add the pears to the syrup and cook for 30 minutes on a low heat until syrup has reduced to half. --Remember timing will vary with the size, variety, and ripeness of the pears.—Remove from heat and leave the pears to cool in the cooking syrup.
Serving Options: 
You can serve the pears whole, cut in half or quartered.At room temperature or cool. Although I suggest that you serve the pears at room temperature. 
Serve next to a scoop of your favorite ice cream, cake, crepes or a beautiful sorbet.