Pears with Honey and Spices, Kept for Winter
Firm pears poached in a honey-wine syrup with spices, where they keep for a long time — the sweetness of autumn stored for snowy days.
Firm pears poached in a honey-wine syrup with spices, where they keep for a long time — the sweetness of autumn stored for snowy days.
Autumn does not last, and winter is long under my groves. So when the pear tree bends, I let nothing go to waste: I lay the firm fruits in a syrup of honey scented with cinnamon and ginger, and the sealed pot keeps them for weeks. In the heart of January, when snow muffles the forest, open it: you will find all the gold of September, and the memory of the sun on the Lake.
- •Firm pears — several (fruit to preserve)
- •Honey — generously (sugar and preservative)
- •Wine — enough to cover (poaching liquid)
- •Cinnamon, ginger, clove — to taste (warm spices)
- •Saffron — a few threads (golden color)
Pears with Honey and Spices, Kept for Winter
Firm pears poached in a honey-wine syrup with spices, where they keep for a long time — the sweetness of autumn stored for snowy days.
Why this dish? A fairy watches over the seasons of her forest: what autumn gives, she keeps for the long dark months. These pears preserved in honey and cinnamon, which keep for weeks, are the sweet provision of Brocéliande and the spiced "issue" that closes an Arthurian feast.
Autumn does not last, and winter is long under my groves. So when the pear tree bends, I let nothing go to waste: I lay the firm fruits in a syrup of honey scented with cinnamon and ginger, and the sealed pot keeps them for weeks. In the heart of January, when snow muffles the forest, open it: you will find all the gold of September, and the memory of the sun on the Lake.
Ingredients (period version)
- Firm pears — several (fruit to preserve)
- Honey — generously (sugar and preservative)
- Wine — enough to cover (poaching liquid)
- Cinnamon, ginger, clove — to taste (warm spices)
- Saffron — a few threads (golden color)
Ingredients
- Firm pears (Conference, slightly underripe Comice) — 6 (fruit)
- Honey — 200 g (syrup and preservation)
- Red wine or grape juice (non-alcoholic) — 50 cl (poaching liquid)
- Cinnamon — 1 stick (spice)
- Fresh ginger — 3 slices (spice)
- Clove — 2 (spice)
- Saffron — 1 pinch (optional) (color)
Method
- Peel the pears, keeping the stem; leave whole or halve.
- In a saucepan, combine the wine (or grape juice), honey, and spices; bring to a simmer.
- Add the pears and poach over low heat for 25 to 35 minutes, until tender but not mushy.
- Remove the pears; reduce the syrup by half until it coats a spoon.
- To preserve: pack the pears into a sterilized jar, cover completely with hot syrup, seal, and cool upside down. Keep cool and consume within a few weeks.
- Serve warm or cold, drizzled with the spiced syrup.
How it was made : Lacking refrigeration, the Middle Ages preserved fruits with sugar (honey) and spices: pears, quinces, and apples were preserved in spiced wine syrups, similar to our poached pears in wine. These sweet, heavily spiced preparations formed the "issue de table," the last service meant to "close the stomach" and aid digestion, often accompanied by hypocras.
The contemporary twist : Plate a whole pear upright, stem pointing skyward, in a pool of glossy deep purple syrup: "the Lady's pear, kept all winter."
Sources : Le Ménagier de Paris (1393) · Le Viandier de Taillevent (14th c.)
The Lady of the Lake · Charactorium