Saffron Poached Pears

User Reviews

5.0

15 reviews
Excellent
  • Prep Time

    10 mins

  • Cook Time

    10 mins

  • Additional Time

    5 hrs

  • Total Time

    50 mins

  • Servings

    5 pears

  • Calories

    238 kcal

  • Course

    Dessert

  • Cuisine

    European

Saffron Poached Pears

Delicious, decadent, alcohol-free alternative to red wine poached pears! Spiced with cardamom, orange juice, orange peel, vanilla and sweetened with honey. They are just as easy to make, and look so striking with that yellow color!

I Made This!

Be the first!

Save this

Be the first!

Ingredients

Servings
  • 15 saffron threads
  • 1 tsp sugar (leave out for a paleo-friendly dessert)
  • Generous pinch of kosher salt
  • Peel of 1 orange
  • 10 cardamom pods opened
  • 1 cup of freshly squeezed orange juice
  • ½ cup honey
  • 1 cup water
  • ½ tbsp vanilla bean paste / ½ vanilla pod
  • 5 medium sized bosc pears
Add to Shopping List

Instructions

  1. Place the saffron, sugar and salt in a small mortar and pestle. Grind them together into a powder. Add ¼ cup of freshly boiled hot water to the ground saffron-sugar mix and let it steep for about 15 minutes.
  2. If you don’t have a mortar and pestle, place the saffron, sugar and salt in a bowl and rub the mix with the tips of your fingers to crush the saffron threads against the sugar and salt granules. Add ¼ cup of freshly boiled hot water to the ground saffron-sugar mix and let it steep for about 15 minutes.
  3. Place the saffron water and all the ingredients (except pears) in a saucepan. Make sure the saucepan is large enough for the pears to fit snugly in there, with just enough wiggle room for the pears to submerge in the poaching liquid at an angle as well.
  4. Bring the liquid to a simmer while stirring to make sure the honey is dissolved.
  5. When the liquid comes to a simmer, peel the pears and then lower them into the poaching liquid.
  6. Let the pears poach in the liquid on medium-low heat (simmering) for 20 - 25 minutes, but rotate the pears every 5 minutes to ensure they poach evenly on all sides, including the tops of the pears.
  7. When the pears have been poached, keep them upright in the poaching liquid, and remove the saucepan from the heat and allow the pears to cool down in the poaching liquid.
  8. I prefer to serve poached pears chilled, but they can be served at room temperature as well.
  9. Before serving, remove the pears from the poaching liquid and leave them on a plate, covered with plastic wrap.
  10. Strain the poaching liquid to remove the orange peel and cardamom. Return the syrup to the saucepan and heat it and bring it to a simmer. Simmer for a few minutes until the liquid thickens slightly into a syrup. The cooking time depends on how much liquid is left, so keep an eye on it. If the syrup is too thick, add a little water to thin it out.
  11. Serve the pears on a serving plate, and brush them a little with the syrup to make the pears look shiny (optional).
  12. Pour a little syrup over individual pears, and serve with some whipped mascarpone cheese or whipped cream, flavored with some orange extract (optional) and pistachios (optional).

Nutrition Information

Show Details
Calories 238kcal (12%) Carbohydrates 63g (21%) Protein 1g (2%) Sodium 7mg (0%) Potassium 368mg (11%) Fiber 6g (24%) Sugar 50g (100%) Vitamin A 145IU (3%) Vitamin C 33.5mg (37%) Calcium 39mg (4%) Iron 1.1mg (6%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 5pears

Amount Per Serving

Calories 238 kcal

% Daily Value*

Calories 238kcal 12%
Carbohydrates 63g 21%
Protein 1g 2%
Sodium 7mg 0%
Potassium 368mg 8%
Fiber 6g 24%
Sugar 50g 100%
Vitamin A 145IU 3%
Vitamin C 33.5mg 37%
Calcium 39mg 4%
Iron 1.1mg 6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Genuine Reviews

User Reviews

Overall Rating

5.0

15 reviews
Excellent

Write a Review

Drag & drop files here or click to upload
Other Recipes

You'll Also Love

Red Wine Poached Pears

European, French
5.0 (159 reviews)

Cinnamon Crème Caramel (with Poached Apple)

European, American, Canadian, gluten-free
5.0 (6 reviews)

Rhubarb Pie with blueberries

European
5.0 (6 reviews)

Pickled Cherries

European, American
5.0 (6 reviews)

How to make marzipan

European, American
5.0 (3 reviews)

Brown Butter Butterscotch Chocolate Fudge Sauce

European, American, Canadian
5.0 (9 reviews)

Strawberry Chocolate Brownie Trifle

European, American, Canadian
5.0 (15 reviews)

Simple Dark Moist Fruitcake

European, American
5.0 (9 reviews)

Pastel de Nata or Portuguese Egg Tarts

Asian, European
5.0 (30 reviews)

Swiss Roll

European, Australian, British
5.0 (3 reviews)

Almond Rock (Almond Toffee)

European, Australian, British, New Zealand
5.0 (3 reviews)

Red Wine Chocolate Cake

European, International
5.0 (3 reviews)

Apple Olive Oil Cake

European, Mediterranean, Greek
5.0 (3 reviews)

Apple Custard Pie with Cinnamon and Raisins

European, American
5.0 (3 reviews)

French Macarons

European, French
5.0 (6 reviews)