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Home » Fruit

Amaretto Pears: Poached Fruit

July 27, 2016 by Jane Saunders 18 Comments

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Think pears are a boring autumn staple? Think again. Amaretto Pears takes succulent poached pears and wraps them in an almond based liqueur to transform them into an incredibly stylish dessert. Make yourself a jar and keep them handy for next time you need to impress a guest at short notice.

Contents hide
1 How to Make Amaretto Poached Pears
2 Can Poached Pears be Made in Advance?
3 Recipe
4 Amaretto Pears: Poached Fruit
An Amaretto poached pear on a plate with poaching syrup.

When I think of summertime I think of school holidays, balmy winds and long evenings. I look forward to plenty of ice cream, chilled out salads and lazy BBQs. It’s the season to unwind, take a break and relax. And, sweet joy, summer is also the season for windfalls of fruit with short shelf lives begging to be eaten by us before the heat turns it all to mush. Yes, my friends, summer is the season for endless jam making and frantic preserving.

Since I like to be seasonal, over the next few weeks, I’ll be sharing recipes I’ve created that help use up or prolong the life of fruit. On my list are Amaretto Pears along with Cinnamon Bourbon Cherries. I’ve also got a clever way to rescue over-ripe strawberries that just so happens to yield the best strawberry sauce I’ve ever tasted.

Today I’m talking about the pears. I often feel sorry for pears. They come into their own during very late summer/ early autumn. But because their golden hour coincides with the decline of our much-prized summer berries and stone fruit, pears seem to get labelled as boring. A ripe pear is a treat in itself: sweet, floral and juicy. And I think this recipe for Amaretto Poached Pears shows that this humble fruit is the exact opposite of boring.

I’ve transformed this steady, reliable, taken for granted fruit into an elegant dessert by poaching a few and leaving them to soak in almond liqueur. These Amaretto Pears are easy to make and a great way to extend the life of already ripe fruit. They are definitely smart enough to grace the table at your next swanky dinner party.

How to Make Amaretto Poached Pears

Pears can be poached by allowing them to cook until tender in a pan of simmering liquid, usually sweetened.

These poached pears are simmered in a light syrup of sugar and water that has been amplified with a burst of flavour from vanilla and star anise.

Once the pears have been cooked, they are then transferred to a jar. A generous measure of Amaretto is poured over and the jar is topped up with the delicately spiced cooking syrup.

Use any pears that you have to hand for this recipe, but for best results, ensure the pears are already ripe. I like to use small pears, since they pack into jars more easily than larger ones.

Poached pears in a jar with Amaretto poured in - process shot

Can Poached Pears be Made in Advance?

Amaretto poached pears are an ideal dessert to make ahead of time. They really do need to bathe in the Amaretto syrup for a few days to pick up the flavour. Of course, the longer the pears are left, the deeper the flavour gets.

Serve the Amaretto pears as they are with a generous glug of that golden Amaretto syrup spooned into the bowl. A side of ice cream or cream is optional but by no means essential.

Gif of syrup being poured into a jar of poached pears with amaretto liqueur

Whipping up a jarful of Amaretto Pears is really a great way to use up a surplus of pears should you be lucky enough to get a seasonal windfall land in your fruit bowl. But they can be made at any time of the year. If you are feeling generous, then package them in a pretty jar and gift them to someone special.

Sealed gift jar of fruit in a liqueur syrup with string and a label.

Don’t forget to check back later this week for my equally easy and delightful Cinnamon Bourbon Cherries. If you’re new here, why not make sure you don’t miss out by signing up for my weekly email recipe notification?

Recipe

Amaretto Pears

Amaretto Pears: Poached Fruit

Jane Saunders
Think pears are a boring autumn staple? Think again. Amaretto Pears takes succulent poached pears and wraps them in an almond based liqueur to transform them into an incredibly stylish dessert. Make yourself a jar and keep them handy for next time you need to impress a guest at short notice.
To sterilise the jar begin by washing it, then put it into a preheated over at 100°C/ 225°F/ GM ¼ for 15 minutes. Carefully remove from the oven and set aside until ready to use
5 from 4 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Preserved Fruit
Cuisine: Worldwide
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 4
Calories: 267kcal
Prevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients

  • 4-5 Small pears – depending on the size of your jar
  • 400 ml/ 1 ¾ cups Water
  • 4 tablespoon Sugar
  • 1 Star anise
  • 1 Vanilla pod – split
  • 120 ml/ ½ cup Amaretto almond liqueur

Instructions

  • Put the sugar, star anise and water into a medium saucepan. Scrape the seeds from the vanilla pod into the pan and toss in the pod as well. Heat gently to dissolve the sugar
  • Meanwhile peel the pears, taking care to leave the stem intact. Gently lower them into the saucepan, cover and bring up to a gently simmer. Cook for 20 minutes, until the pears are soft
  • Drop the pears into the sterilised jar
  • Pour the Amaretto over the pears and top up with the poaching syrup (there may be a little liquid left over, depending on the size of jar used).
  • Ensure the pears are completely submerged in the liquid before sealing the jar
  • Store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks

Nutrition Per Serving (Approximate)

Calories:267kcal | Carbohydrates:56g | Protein:1g | Fat:1g | Saturated Fat:1g | Sodium:10mg | Potassium:267mg | Fiber:7g | Sugar:43g | Vitamin A:56IU | Vitamin C:10mg | Calcium:23mg | Iron:1mg
Tried this Recipe? Pin it Today!Mention @littlesugarsnap or tag #littlesugarsnaps!
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  1. marianwhit

    October 07, 2022 at 10:26 pm

    Hmmm, maybe I will try this with Drambuie?

    Reply
    • Jane Saunders

      October 07, 2022 at 11:11 pm

      Oh I like that idea!

      Reply
  2. Jerri

    October 18, 2019 at 1:02 pm

    Where did you get those jars?

    Reply
    • Jane Saunders

      October 24, 2019 at 9:49 am

      Oh umm… my Mum gave them to me – I think they used to contain boozy poached peaches themselves many moons ago, so they were clearly destined for these pictures.

      Reply
  3. Jenni

    April 30, 2019 at 3:08 pm

    5 stars
    Almond and pear is such a classic combination! I love your addition of star anise as well. Perfect!

    Reply
    • Jane Saunders

      April 30, 2019 at 6:23 pm

      Thanks so much Jenni. I’m all for a bit of subtle spice whenever I can squeeze it in and it seems to work well here.

      Reply
  4. Ju

    January 25, 2018 at 12:32 pm

    I’ve made these a few times now, they’re lovely ?

    Reply
    • Jane Saunders

      January 25, 2018 at 1:43 pm

      Thanks for taking the time to let me know Ju – it means so much when a reader takes the trouble to let me know they like my recipe.

      Reply
  5. Karen

    September 12, 2016 at 10:16 pm

    Can you can these with a water bath or does the alcohol affect how it seals?

    Reply
    • Jane Saunders

      September 12, 2016 at 10:57 pm

      Hi Karen. To be honest I haven’t tried canning them, since they keep well enough in the fridge for my needs. I’m not familiar with canning techniques or the rules around it, but I have found a link for canning boozy peaches, which might suggest that it would be ok. What do you think? Here’s the link: https://apassionateplate.com/boozy-peaches/

      If you go ahead and try, do let me know how you get along, I’d love to know.

      Reply
  6. jayashree

    August 01, 2016 at 6:47 am

    Wonderful way to use pears. Thanks for sharing with Saucy Saturdays

    Reply
    • Jane Saunders

      August 01, 2016 at 8:59 am

      Thanks Jayashree

      Reply
  7. Michelle

    July 30, 2016 at 8:34 pm

    Jane-
    This is exactly what I want right now!
    I love the packaging! What a great gift!
    Thanks!
    Michelle

    Reply
    • Jane Saunders

      July 31, 2016 at 11:06 am

      Thanks Michelle. BTW – the name of your blog always makes me smile

      Reply
  8. Mimi

    July 28, 2016 at 10:44 pm

    Beautiful! I can think of so many delicious ways to use the pears… and the leftover liquid!

    Reply
    • Jane Saunders

      July 29, 2016 at 10:14 am

      thanks Mimi. Waste nothing – that’s my motto – especially when it’s so tasty

      Reply
  9. Miranda

    July 26, 2016 at 7:14 pm

    5 stars
    Oh wow, amaretto sounds like such a nice complementary flavor to pear! Yummy!

    Reply
    • Jane Saunders

      July 26, 2016 at 8:43 pm

      Hi Miranda – yes, the pears and almond liqueur do seem to match each other rather well 😉

      Reply

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