Poached Pears
I think there are two types of people in this world...people who love Costco and people who hate Costco. I fall into the later. The thought of going to Costco gives me serious anxiety. I don't know what it is - I love other stores like Target and Walmart. And Trader Joes and Whole Foods I can do with my eyes closed...but there is just something about Costco.
Since I paid for a membership last year I decided to take more advantage of it and even though I really wanted it to work, I just couldn't handle the chaos of Costco. My trip was anything but productive and I ended up walking out with the most random assortment of food. Including an 8 lb bag of Bosc pears.
There are currently just two of us in my house an 8 lbs is a lot of pears for two people so I decided to poach them. It is an easy way to extend the life of fruit.
Poached pears are great on everything from oatmeal to ice cream and are of course perfect on their own.
So the next time you find yourself with 8 extra lbs of fruit, try poaching them!
Enjoy!
Poached Pears
- 1 qt. water
- 1 cup sugar
- 4 to 6 Bosc pears, peeled, cut in half and cored
- 2 cinnamon sticks, gently crushed or broken
- 2 star anise
- 2 pieces of clove
- 1 Tbs. vanilla extra
Cut a piece of parchment paper the size of the diameter of the pan. Cut a small hole in the middle and set aside.
In a large shallow pan add the water and sugar. Over medium heat, dissolve the sugar.
Add the pears, cinnamon, anise, cloves, and vanilla.. Cover the pears with the prepared parchment paper. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 15 to 20 minutes or until the pears are fork tender.
Serve pears warm on their own, over ice cream, or on oatmeal.