Pear Ginger Poached Fruit (Printable)

Tender pears simmered with ginger and lemon for a fragrant, gently spiced treat served warm or chilled.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Fruit

01 - 4 ripe pears, peeled, halved, and cored

→ Poaching Liquid

02 - 2 cups water
03 - ½ cup granulated sugar
04 - 1-inch piece fresh ginger, sliced
05 - Zest of 1 lemon
06 - 2 tablespoons lemon juice

→ Garnish (optional)

07 - 1 tablespoon crystallized ginger, finely chopped
08 - Fresh mint leaves

# How-To Steps:

01 - In a medium saucepan, combine water, sugar, sliced ginger, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolves.
02 - Add pear halves to the poaching liquid ensuring they are mostly submerged. Cover and simmer gently for 20 to 25 minutes, turning occasionally until tender but still intact.
03 - Remove pears with a slotted spoon and set aside. Increase heat and reduce the poaching liquid for 5 minutes until slightly thickened.
04 - Arrange pears on serving plates, drizzle with reduced syrup, and sprinkle with crystallized ginger and fresh mint if desired. Serve warm or chilled.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It transforms ordinary pears into something elegant without any complicated steps or special skills.
  • The ginger adds warmth without overpowering the fruit, and the syrup becomes liquid gold you'll want to drizzle on everything.
  • You can make it ahead and serve it warm, cold, or straight from the fridge at midnight when you need something sweet and light.
02 -
  • Don't skip turning the pears during poaching or they'll cook unevenly and one side will stay pale and firm.
  • If your pears are very ripe, check them after 15 minutes—they can go from perfect to falling apart quickly.
  • The syrup will thicken more as it cools, so don't reduce it too much or it'll turn sticky instead of silky.
03 -
  • Use a wide, shallow pan if you have one so the pears fit in a single layer and poach evenly without crowding.
  • Save the ginger slices from the syrup and toss them with a little sugar—they make an incredible candied garnish.
  • If your pears are underripe, add 5 to 10 minutes to the poaching time and test with a knife until they're tender.

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