Honey-Spiced Pears, Preserved for Winter
Pears poached in wine and honey perfumed with cinnamon and cloves, preserved in their syrup. A pantry sweet that lasts through the months, served at the end of a meal or as comfort during fasts.
Pears poached in wine and honey perfumed with cinnamon and cloves, preserved in their syrup. A pantry sweet that lasts through the months, served at the end of a meal or as comfort during fasts.
The wise steward lets none of autumn's gifts go to waste. In the late season, we gathered the pears and simmered them in wine and honey, with cinnamon and cloves, then stored them in their syrup in the cool of the cellar. Thus, even in the heart of Advent, when the belly fasts, We could offer a sweet to Our guests—for penance does not forbid gratitude for the fruits the Lord ripens.
- •Firm pears — as many as you have (fruit to preserve)
- •Honey — generously (preservative and sweetness)
- •Wine — enough to cover (poaching and preserving liquid)
- •Cinnamon and cloves — as needed (spices, preservation)
Honey-Spiced Pears, Preserved for Winter
Pears poached in wine and honey perfumed with cinnamon and cloves, preserved in their syrup. A pantry sweet that lasts through the months, served at the end of a meal or as comfort during fasts.
Why this dish? The Roman curia had to feed its household year-round. Preserving autumn fruits in honey and spiced wine allowed a sweet to be offered at the papal table even during Advent, a fast when the sugar of fruits softened the rigors of the calendar.
The wise steward lets none of autumn's gifts go to waste. In the late season, we gathered the pears and simmered them in wine and honey, with cinnamon and cloves, then stored them in their syrup in the cool of the cellar. Thus, even in the heart of Advent, when the belly fasts, We could offer a sweet to Our guests—for penance does not forbid gratitude for the fruits the Lord ripens.
Ingredients (period version)
- Firm pears — as many as you have (fruit to preserve)
- Honey — generously (preservative and sweetness)
- Wine — enough to cover (poaching and preserving liquid)
- Cinnamon and cloves — as needed (spices, preservation)
Ingredients
- Firm pears (Conference type) — 6 (fruit to preserve)
- Honey — 150 g (preservative and sweetness)
- Red or white wine — 400 ml (poaching and preserving liquid)
- Cinnamon stick — 1 (spice)
- Cloves — 4 (spice and preservation)
Method
- Peel the pears, keeping the stem; place them in a narrow saucepan.
- Cover with wine; add honey, cinnamon, and cloves.
- Poach at a simmer for 25–35 minutes until tender but whole.
- Remove the pears; reduce the syrup by half to concentrate.
- Pack the pears into a sterilized jar, cover completely with hot syrup, and seal.
- Store in a cool place; keeps for several weeks, as in a medieval cellar.
How it was made : Honey was the great preservative of antiquity and the Middle Ages before cane sugar (rare and expensive). Poaching fruits in honeyed, spiced wine extended their shelf life and turned them into a prestige sweet, prized on ecclesiastical tables.
The contemporary twist : Serve a whole pear napped with its reduced syrup, with a crumble of gingerbread—for crunch and a memory of honey.
Anastasius IV · Charactorium