Poached Pear Recipes

Poached pear recipes are the simplest way to enjoy this delicious fruit. Not only is poaching such a simple preparation, outside of eating a fresh pear, but it is a great way to enjoy this mild flavored fruit. Soft water poached pears are delicious tasting without anything added to them. Cooking pears like this seems to bring out the sweetness of the pears even without adding sugar. They make a great snack or a good dessert to serve after a heavy special dinner.

Poach Pear RecipesPoach Pear Recipes
Removing the Core from a PearRemoving the Core from a Pear

Poached pear recipes can also be prepared by adding all kinds of other ingredients. Probably the most common ingredient to cook with pears is your favorite wine. Chocolate also has to be another favorite ingredient for many to be prepared with or served with poached pears. Besides wine and chocolate you will find recipes with including different fruit juices and fruit syrups. Look for recipes with different spices and flavorings like vanilla. If you have flavors which you especially like experiment by creating your own recipes.

When preparing to make poached pear recipes, most of the time you will be instructed to peel and core the fresh pears. I use a small peeler to remove the peel because I think the surface is smoother. If you do not have a peeler, a small peeling knife is fine. To core always do that from the bottom to make them appear whole. If you have a corer for apples it will also work on pears. If you do not have one then use a thin sharp knife. Cut the core out from the bottom WITHOUT going all the way to the stem. Turn the knife in a circular pattern to cut out the seeds. If you want the pears to sit flat in a pan, start by slicing a thin flat piece from the bottom of each pear.

NOTE: For poached pear recipes do not use really ripe pears; it is best to be under ripe.
NOTE: For more flavorful pears, poach them one day and refrigerate overnight.

POACHED PEAR PLATES

Poached Pear PlatesPoached Pear Plates

Make poached pear recipes fit for your most elaborate meals.
Poached pears

  • 6 Fresh firm pears
  • 1/3 Cup sugar
  • 1 Cup water
  • 1 Stick (2 Inches) cinnamon
  • 2 Whole cloves
  • ½ Cup apricot brandy
  • ½ Cup brandy
  • ¼ Cup Grand Marnier

Strawberry Sauce

  • ½ cup frozen sliced strawberries (Thawed)
  • 1 Tablespoon sugar
  • ¾ Teaspoon cornstarch
  • 2 Teaspoons cold water

Egg Yolk Custard Sauce

  • 3 Egg yolks (Beaten slightly)
  • ¼ Cup sugar
  • 2 Tablespoons Grand Marnier

Strawberry Custard Whipped Cream

  • 1 Cup heavy whipping cream
  • 2 Teaspoons sugar
  • 1 Recipe strawberry sauce
  • 1 Recipe Egg yolk sauce

FOR POACHING PEARS peel and core pears from bottom leaving stems on.
Combine sugar and water in a 2 quart saucepan; add remaining ingredients.
Bring mixture to a boil; add pears and simmer 5 to 8 minutes until tender.
NOTE: Baste constantly until pears are tender.
Cool pears in liquid to room temperature; refrigerate in liquid overnight.
NOTE: On day of serving prepare remaining sauces.
FOR STRAWBERRY SAUCE combine strawberries and sugar in a small saucepan.
Heat berry mixture to a simmer; dissolve cornstarch in water and stir in hot mixture.
Simmer and stir for 3 minutes; set off to cool.
FOR EGG YOLK MIXTURE combine yolks and sugar in top of double boiler.
Stir in Grand Marnier; place over simmering water.
Cook and stir until mixture thickens slightly; set off to cool.
FOR WHIPPED CREAM beat cream with sugar to medium stiff peaks.
TO SERVE fold together the strawberry sauce and yolk sauce.
Fold in the whipped cream just to combine; serve with cold pears.
Serves 6.

RASPBERRY POACHED PEAR with chocolate raspberry sauce

Raspberry Poached Pears Served with a Chocolate Raspberry SauceRaspberry Poached Pears Served with a Chocolate Raspberry Sauce
Raspberry Poached PearsRaspberry Poached Pears

Poached pear recipes can easily be prepared in the microwave.

  • 1 Package (10 Ounces) frozen raspberries in syrup (Thawed)
  • 1/3 Cup sugar
  • 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
  • 6 Large firm pears
  • 1 Tablespoon cornstarch
  • 2 Tablespoons water
  • 2 Ounces semi sweet chocolate
  • ½ Cup heavy whipping cream
  • 1 Tablespoon powdered sugar

Place raspberries and syrup in food processor; process until smooth.
Strain raspberries into a 3 quart round casserole dish using spoon to press.
Discard seeds; stir sugar and lemon juice into raspberry puree.
Peel pears leaving stems intact; core pears from the bottom.
Arrange pears in a circle in the raspberry puree in casserole dish.
NOTE: Place pears with large ends of pears near edge of casserole and stems in toward center.
Spoon some of the raspberry puree over the pears; cover with lid or large plate.
Place in microwave and cook on HIGH (100%) 15 to 20 minutes turning over one time.
NOTE: Cook until pears are NEARLY tender.
Combine and mix together cornstarch and water in a cup.
Gently stir cornstarch into raspberry mixture in casserole until blended.
Turn pears over again; cover and cook on HIGH 2-5 minutes.
NOTE: Sauce should be slightly thickened and pears tender.
Cover and refrigerate pears in the sauce for at least 3 hours.
NOTE: Occasionally spoon sauce over pears.
Spoon 1 cup of sauce from casserole into microwave safe bowl.
Heat in microwave until very hot; add chocolate and let stand until melted.
Stir chocolate raspberry mixture until completely smooth.
FOR WHIPPED CREAM beat cream with sugar until stiff peaks form.
TO SERVE pour chocolate mixture onto 6 dessert serving plates.
Spoon some raspberry sauce over pears; arrange glazed pears on plates.
Garnish each pear with whipped cream; serves 6.
NOTE: Save any remaining sauce in refrigerator to use over ice cream.

ORANGE POACHED PEAR RECIPES

Try simple poached pear recipes like this.

  • 1 Cup sugar
  • ½ Cup water
  • ½ Cup orange juice
  • 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
  • 6 Pears
  • Twists of orange peel

Combine the first 4 ingredients in a Dutch oven.
Bring to a boil over medium heat stirring until sugar dissolves.
Boil gently for 5 minutes.
Peel the pears and core from the bottom without cutting through the stem.
Add the pears to the Dutch oven; cover REDUCE HEAT and simmer 15 minutes.
Transfer the pears and syrup to a bowl; cover and chill thoroughly.
Spoon the pears and syrup into serving dishes; top each with orange peel twist.
Serves 6.

MARSALA PEARS

Many poached pear recipes are prepared with Marsala.

  • 4 Firm pears
  • ¾ Cup Marsala
  • 1 Vanilla bean (Split)
  • 2 Tablespoons brown sugar

Peel the pears leaving the stem intact.
Slice off bottoms so pears stand upright.
NOTE: Core if you like but you can eat around the seeds.
Stir together Marsala, vanilla bean and sugar in a large saucepan.
Add pears to the saucepan and bring to a boil.
REDUCE HEAT, cover and simmer until tender 20 to 25 minutes.
Serve at room temperature with pan juices.

POACHED PEARS IN CRANBERRY SYRUP

Poached pear recipes are delicious when prepared in other fruit flavor syrups.

  • 4 Cups cranberry juice cocktail
  • 1 Cup corn syrup
  • 8 Slices (1/4 inch thick) fresh ginger
  • 2 Cinnamon sticks (2 to 3 inches each)
  • 8 Firm pears (slightly under ripe)

Combine cranberry juice, corn syrup ginger and cinnamon in a heavy saucepan.
Bring mixture to a boil over medium high heat.
Peel pears leaving stems intact; add to the cranberry liquid.
Cover, REDUCE HEAT and simmer until tender 15 to 20 minutes.
Transfer pears to a shallow serving dish; remove ginger and cinnamon.
Discard all but 2 cups of the syrup in pan; bring remaining syrup to a boil.
Boil for 10 to 12 minutes until thickened slightly; spoon over the pears.
Serves 8.

PEPPERMINT POACHED PEARS

Spice up poached pear recipes with peppermint.

  • 2/3 Cup sugar
  • 1 Cup water
  • 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
  • 8 Small firm pears
  • 3 Tablespoons crème de menth
  • Few drops green food coloring
  • Mint sprigs for garnish

Combine sugar, water and lemon juice in a medium saucepan.
Cook and stir over low heat until sugar dissolves.
Peel pears leaving stems intact; level base of each pear.
Carefully scoop out seeds from the bottoms leaving pears whole.
Add crème de menthe and coloring to the syrup; bring to a boil.
Place pears upright in saucepan; cover, REDUCE HEAT, simmer about 20 minutes.
NOTE: Simmer until pears are tender.
Place pears in a serving dish; BOIL syrup rapidly until thickened.
Spoon syrup over pears; refrigerate for several hours.
NOTE: Spoon syrup over pears occasionally.
Garnish with mint sprigs to serve; serves 4.

MADEIRA WINE POACHED PEAR HALVES

Make poached pear recipes and serve with yogurt and gingersnaps.

  • 1 Vanilla bean
  • 3 Cups Madeira wine
  • 3 Cups water
  • 1 ½ Cups sugar
  • 4 Large Bosc pears (Cut in half and remove seeds)
  • 2 Cups vanilla yogurt (Or plain)
  • Crushed gingersnaps (For garnish)

Split the vanilla bean and scrap out the seeds; place in a large stock pot.
Add the wine, water and sugar to the pot; bring to a simmer over medium high.
Simmer stirring often until sugar is dissolved about 3 to 4 minutes.
Add pears to the liquid making sure they are submerged; REDUCE HEAT to medium.
Cook until pears are tender about 5 to 7 minutes; remove pears from liquid.
Serve each pear half with ¼ cup yogurt; garnish with crushed gingersnaps.
NOTE: Can refrigerate pears and serve cold; 8 servings.

STUFFED POACHED PEARS WITH CHOCOLATE SAUCE

Poached pear recipes can also be stuffed.

  • ¾ Cup sugar
  • 6 Cups water
  • 1 Cinnamon stick (3 Inches)
  • 4 Large firm pears
  • 1 ½ Cups chocolate cake crumbs
  • ¼ Cup chopped walnuts
  • 3 Maraschino cherries (Chopped)
  • 1-2 Tablespoons maraschino cherry syrup

Sauce

  • ½ Cup maple syrup
  • 1 Tablespoon cocoa powder
  • Chocolate or mint leaves for garnish

Combine sugar and water in a large saucepan over medium heat.
Cook and stir until sugar dissolves; add cinnamon and pears.
Cover and simmer about 20 minutes until pears are BARELY tender.
Cool in sugar syrup.
Cut a slice from bottom of each so they stand upright.
Cut off about 1 inch at the top (Save)
Scoop out core with small spoon or melon baller.
In a small bowl combine crumbs, walnuts and cherries.
Stir in enough syrup to make a stiff paste; spoon into pear cavities.
Return tops to pears.
TO MAKE SAUCE blend maple syrup and cocoa powder in small saucepan.
Bring to a boil stirring constantly; pour a little into serving dishes.
Place a filled pear into each serving dish; garnish with a leaf.

POACHED PEARS IN CHOCOLATE SAUCE

  • 6 firm pears
  • 1 Cup water
  • 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
  • ½ Cup sugar
  • 1 Vanilla bean (Split)
  • 4 Squares (1 Ounce each) semisweet chocolate
  • 4 Tablespoons juices (From pears in casserole)
  • 1 Tablespoon butter
  • Vanilla ice cream

Peel pears; level pears at bottom and core from bottom.
Stand pears in a shallow microwave casserole dish; set aside.
In microwave safe bowl combine water, lemon juice and sugar.
Heat on HIGH for 2 minutes; pour over the pears.
Add vanilla to bottom of casserole dish; cover dish with plastic wrap.
Pierce top of plastic; cook on MEDIUM for 10 minutes and set to cool.
In a microwave bowl combine chocolate and juices from pears.
Heat on HIGH for 3 minutes stirring each minute; add butter beating until smooth.
Drain pears and arrange each on a flat dessert dish; spoon over chocolate sauce.
Serve with a dip of ice cream; serves 6.

POACHED PEARS WITH STAR ANISE

It is common to use white wine in poached pear recipes.

  • 6 Firm pears (With stems)
  • 3 Cups white wine
  • ¼ Cup sugar
  • Zest of 1 lemon
  • 2 Star anise pods (Broken)
  • ¼ Cup mascarpone cheese
  • 2 Ounces semisweet chocolate (Melted)

Cut a thin slice from the bottom of each pear so they stand upright; peel pears.
Using a stainless steel saucepan large enough to hold pears combine wine and sugar.
Cook and stir over low heat until the sugar dissolves; stand pears upright in the pan.
Add the lemon zest, star anise and enough water just to cover the pears.
Cover pan partially and simmer over medium heat about 30 minutes until tender.
Transfer pears to a shallow dish; boil liquid on high until reduced to ½ cup about 30 minutes.
Pour syrup over the pears; refrigerate for up to 1 day.
TO SERVE return pears to room temperature; remove cores from bottom.
Fill the cavities with mascarpone cheese; stand pears on serving plates.
Spoon syrup over the pears; garnish with melted chocolate.
Serves 6.