Homemade Pear Butter

With all my talk of Bartlett pears last week, and a bowl full of ripe fruit sitting on my kitchen counter, I thought I'd whip up a batch of pear butter - a great recipe to utilize ripe pears that might otherwise end up in my compost bin.

It’s simple to prepare and can be used in a variety of ways:  I like to spread it on scones for breakfast; top caramel ice cream with a dollop for a seasonal sundae; garnish a cheeseboard with a little jar; or use it in place of applesauce in a quick bread.

And if you want to get creative: try swapping the ginger and cinnamon with spices you like best. Freshly-ground black pepper is also quite nice...

Homemade Pear Butter

Ingredients

5 pounds ripe pears

1 cup pear cider

1 ½ tsp. finely chopped fresh ginger

¼ tsp. cinnamon

¼ tsp.  salt

½ cup light brown sugar

1 to 1 ½ cups granulated sugar, to taste

Finely grated zest of ½ lemon

Juice of ½ lemon

Directions

1. Peel, core, and roughly chop the pears.

2. Combine pears, cider, ginger, cinnamon, and salt in a large heavy bottom pan. Cover and cook over low heat for 20 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until pears are very soft. Drain any excess liquid.

3. Press pears through a food mill; puree pears in a blender; or use a potato masher to mash the pears.

4. Add remaining ingredients and cook the pureed pears over medium heat for 15 minutes, or until consistency is similar to applesauce.

5. Pour hot mixture into jars and let cool to room temperature. Cover and store in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

What’s in Season: Bartlett Pears

This past Saturday’s crisp and cool weather made for an enjoyable trip to Grand Central Army’s weekly farmers market, located on the edge of Prospect Park in Brooklyn. Although summer’s Jersey tomatoes, sweet corn, and peaches were still abundantly available, fall produce has certainty begun making its seasonal appearance. Especially pears.

One of the most common, and delicious, varieties are Bartlett pears. When picked, they’re light green in color and have a crunchy flesh. But as they ripen off the tree, they turn a shade of bright yellow with blush red spots and their flesh becomes soft, tender, and super sweet. 

Best known as “canning pears,” a farmer I chatted with suggested peeling and poaching them with flavors like cinnamon, cloves, honey, lemon, and ginger.  He then tops them with tart yogurt and chopped walnuts—a healthy dessert or an indulgent breakfast. And I suppose his suggestion—poaching versus canning—is not too different of a cooking method, except that you get the luxury of eating them right away!

I also like swapping half of the apples in my pie filling for Bartlett pears, or roasting and blending them with a bit of cinnamon and molasses to make homemade applesauce. 

What's In Season: Pears

Apple season is in full swing, but don't let that distract you from autumn's more understated and elegant fruit. The luscious pear is in all of it's glory right now. From the sweet, juicy Anjou to the tiny, cinnamon-scented Seckel, there's a spectrum of flavors, textures and aromas to choose from. Visit your local farmers market and have fun checking out varieties you're not familiar with. Who knows? The next time you get a hankering for pie, you might find yourself peeling pears instead of apples!

Pairs well with:

• Almond
• Apple
• Caramel
• Chestnut
• Chocolate
• Citrus
• Ginger
• Vanilla
• Walnut

What to make/eat:

1. Poached Pears- Peel pears and bring to a simmer in a large pot with about 2 1/2 cups red wine, 1/2 cup of sugar, a cinnamon stick and any other warming spices you feel like adding (cardamom would be nice). Stir to dissolve the sugar and reduce the heat to low, cooking the pears until tender. If making ahead, store the pears in their poaching liquid.

2. Honey Roasted Pears- Peel, core and coarsely chop pears. Toss with honey, the seeds of a vanilla bean and a 1/2 teaspoon of lemon juice. Roast at 375 degrees until fragrant and slightly toasted, about 15-20 minutes. Top with a dollop of creme fraiche.

3. Brown Butter Pear Crisp- Make a crisp topping by mixing together 1 1/2 cups flour, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1 cup of chopped nuts of your choice (almonds, walnuts or pecans would all work) and a 1/4 teaspoon salt. Melt 3/4 stick butter and slowly drizzle it into the dry ingredients. Stir until large crumbs form. Peel, core and chop pears. Toss with 1/3 cup sugar, 1 TBSP flour, 1/4 tsp salt and the seeds of a vanilla pod. Melt 1/2 stick of butter, swirling the pan, until it becomes brown and fragrant. Mix the brown butter in with the pears. Pour the filling into a baking dish, top with the crumble and bake at 400 for 30 minutes, or until the filling is bubbling. Try your best to let the crisp cool before you dig in!