“It is, in my view, the duty of an apple to be crisp and crunchable, but a pear should have such a texture as leads to silent consumption.”
~ Edward Bunyard
After the excess of Easter it is a relief to be back to simple food again.
One of Autumn’s great pleasures for me is pears. This easy dish is low in sugar, and the cooked fruit can be eaten warm or cold.
They are wonderful on their own, spooned over cereal or porridge or made into a layered parfait with some fresh yoghurt and a sprinkling of chopped nuts or some crunchy granola.
I also like them with a drizzle of fresh cream or a dollop of coconut yoghurt.
Pears are a great source of fibre and are high in anti-oxidants. Plus they are delicious!
Ingredients:
- 6 to 12 ripe pears, sliced and the cores removed. It’s fine to keep the skins on.
- Enough water or unsweetened apple juice to just cover the fruit in a large saucepan. If you use apple juice you won’t need sweetener.
- 1 to 2 cinnamon quills (or 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon for each quill)
- 6 dried cloves
- a peeled and sliced 1 inch piece of root ginger or 1/2 teaspoon of dried ground ginger
- You can also use a little sweetener if you are using water to cook the pears. A few drops of stevia, or a couple of tablespoons of maple syrup or honey will work well.
Method:
- Slice the pears into halves or quarters.
- Place in a saucepan and barely cover with water or juice.
- Add the spices.
- Gently bring to the boil and then turn heat to low and cook for fifteen to twenty minutes or until pears are soft.
Stewed pears will keep for up to one week in the fridge.
