Poached Pears in Grape Juice (Printable version)

Tender pears simmered in grape juice, infused with cinnamon and vanilla for a delicate finish.

# What you'll need:

→ Fruit

01 - 4 ripe but firm pears (Bosc or Anjou), peeled, halved, and cored

→ Poaching Liquid

02 - 3 cups red or white grape juice
03 - 1/4 cup granulated sugar (optional, adjust to taste)
04 - 1 cinnamon stick
05 - 2 strips lemon zest (from 1 lemon)
06 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

→ Garnish (optional)

07 - Fresh mint leaves
08 - Whipped cream or vanilla ice cream

# Directions:

01 - Combine grape juice, sugar, cinnamon stick, lemon zest, and vanilla extract in a large saucepan. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat, stirring until sugar completely dissolves.
02 - Add pear halves to simmering liquid. Reduce heat to low, cover, and poach for 20-25 minutes, turning occasionally, until pears are tender but maintain their shape.
03 - Transfer pears to a serving dish using a slotted spoon, leaving poaching liquid in the saucepan.
04 - Increase heat to medium-high and simmer poaching liquid uncovered for 5-7 minutes until slightly reduced and syrupy consistency is achieved.
05 - Pour warm syrup over pears. Cool to room temperature or refrigerate until chilled. Serve with additional grape syrup and garnish with fresh mint, whipped cream, or vanilla ice cream if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • Its the kind of dessert that looks like you spent hours fussing over it, but the active cooking time is practically nothing
  • The grape juice creates this incredibly silky, aromatic poaching liquid that tastes far more sophisticated than its humble ingredients suggest
02 -
  • I once used pear juice instead of grape and the flavor was completely flat and one dimensional, so stick with grape for that aromatic complexity
  • The difference between perfect pears and pear mush is about 3 minutes of cooking time, so check them early and often
03 -
  • Peeled pears absorb the grape flavor much better than unpeeled ones, so dont skip that step even if it seems tedious
  • The syrup thickens as it cools, so dont reduce it too much or youll end up with something closer to jelly than sauce

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