Preserving Pears?

[Rosemary]

Once again we have loads of pears on the trees. It seems such a waste not to use them. Can I preserve them? Or maybe use them in cooking? Does anyone have any ideas please.

[Ann]

I've got a recipe for spiced pickled pears, haven't tried it myself but happy to let you have a copy of it.

[TPeers]

Loads of uses for pears.

Poached pears, bottled pears, stewed pears.

To poach - peal pear leaving stalk in place, place in a saucepan. Use a saucepan that is deep enough to allow the pears to be covered with 'liquor', it is also useful if the pan is well packed with pears!

The 'liquor' can be almost anything, pear juice, apple juice, light sugar syrup, cider.... Add a shot or two of a fruit liqueur if you want or some port....

Simmer - poach! - gently for 45-60 mins or until the fruit are tender.

Delicious!

To bottle, this method is a 'soft preserve' and needs to be kept in the fridge where it will keep for a couple of months unopened.

Peal, quarter and core some pears, pack tightly into preserving bottles (Kilner jars are good) top jars with either heavy or light sugar syrup and put lids on loosly (!).

Place jars into a large preserving pan, keeping them off the base using a trivet or similar. fill the pan to the necks of the jars with water and slowly heat until simmering gently. Cook in this manner for a good hour or so, topping the water up as needed, until the fruit is cooked and the syrup hot, a good clue is when bubbles start to rise in the jars. Lift jars out and tighten the lids, leave to cool.

Stewed pears, peal, quarter and core the pears. Place in a saucepan with some water to just cover, bring to the boil and add sugar to taste. Cook until fruit is soft.

Stewed pears can be frozen in suitable containers and will keep that way for about a year.

Other ideas - pears store well - fruit should be picked bullet hard in September/October depending on type and can be placed on open racks in a cool frost free place such as a garage, the friut will slowly ripen, changing colour slightly as it does so. Some varieties will keep past christmas like this, with little or no loss in quality.

Dried pears, if you have a drier, prepare the fruit as per the instructions that come with the machine and switch it on, hey presto - dried pears. Uses, stew, chop and use in cakes, use whole to decorate cakes, eat as is!

Make perry.

Will that do for now?

Terry