This recipe is the best way to make some decadent Red Wine Poached Pears. The key to make the perfect Red Wine Poached Pears is to use nice Burgundy red wine and slowly poach till perfect tender. How to make red wine poached pears is by first choosing the wine and the pears. The French often serve poached pears in Burgundy red wine to be able to use the pears from their harvest that were not ripening to their liking. Poached pears are a great accompaniment to many dishes. They can go well on salads like in our Poached Pear Salad with Balsamic Truffle Vinaigrette. Poached Pears are a fantastic way to elevate a simple vanilla ice cream into an upscale dessert.
There are many varieties of pears such as Red Anjou, Asian pear, Tosca pear, Bartlett pear, Bosc pear, and French Butter. The Bosc, French Butter, and Asian are the best ones to poach because they are the sweetest and most common that are readily available at local supermarkets and fruit stands. Pears are grown in various parts of the United States including New York, California, Washington, Oregon, Pennsylvania, and Michigan. Pears can be picked as early as July to December depending on the region in which they are growing in. The Bosc pear is a great choice for cooking because it retains its shape when cooking and they are mildly sweet.
Choosing the best Pears for poaching
When picking the pears you want to poach you should make sure they are ripe. The way to check if a pear is ripe is to apply a little pressure at the neck (the narrowest part of the pear by the stem). If the pears are already mushy the final product will just fall apart when completely poached. Try to find the best pears you can. It is worth splurging on some fancy organic ones.
In this recipe, you add cinnamon sticks, cloves, and brown sugar to enhance the flavor of the pear.
Red Wine Poached Pears
Equipment
- (Help support our site!)Sauce Pot
- (Help support our site!)Peeler
- (Help support our site!)Measuring Cup
- Cork Screw
Ingredients
- 4 whole Ripe Bosc Pears Peeled
- 1½ cup Brown Sugar
- 2½ cup Burgundy Red Wine
- 1-2 cup Water Depending on Sauce Pot Size
- 4 whole Cloves
- 1 whole Cinnamon Stick
Instructions
- In the sauce pan, add water, cloves, cinnamon stick and Burgundy red wine.
- Whisk in the brown sugar until its dissolved and begin heating.
- Begin peeling the pear in a downward motion, keeping the stem on.
- Once all the pears are peeled, place in the red wine liquid.
- Make sure there's enough liquid to submerge pears and simmer at a moderate heat for 20-25 minutes.
- Pull from the stove and transfer into a storage container until cool.
- Store in liquid and refrigerate until needed.
