Poached Pears in Grape Juice (Printable)

Tender pears simmered in grape juice with cinnamon, lemon zest, and vanilla for a delicate dessert.

# What You'll Need:

→ Fruit

01 - 4 ripe but firm pears (Bosc or Anjou), peeled, halved, and cored

→ Poaching Liquid

02 - 3 cups red or white grape juice
03 - 1/4 cup granulated sugar (optional, adjust to taste)
04 - 1 cinnamon stick
05 - 2 strips lemon zest (from 1 lemon)
06 - 1 tsp vanilla extract

→ Garnish

07 - Fresh mint leaves
08 - Whipped cream or vanilla ice cream

# How to Make It:

01 - Combine grape juice, sugar, cinnamon stick, lemon zest, and vanilla extract in a large saucepan. Bring to gentle simmer over medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolves completely.
02 - Add pear halves to simmering liquid. Reduce heat to low, cover, and poach for 20-25 minutes. Turn pears occasionally until tender but still holding shape.
03 - Transfer pears to serving dish using slotted spoon, keeping poaching liquid in pan.
04 - Increase heat and simmer poaching liquid uncovered for 5-7 minutes until slightly reduced and syrupy consistency.
05 - Pour warm syrup over pears. Cool to room temperature or refrigerate. Serve with grape syrup drizzle and garnish with mint, whipped cream, or vanilla ice cream if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It looks impressively fancy but requires almost zero effort
  • The grape juice creates a natural syrup that tastes way more sophisticated than it should
  • You can make it ahead and keep it in the fridge for days
02 -
  • The pears continue cooking slightly even after you remove them from the heat, so pull them when they still have a tiny bit of resistance
  • Red grape juice will stain the pears pink, which is gorgeous, but white grape juice keeps them creamy colored if you prefer that look
03 -
  • Use a vegetable peeler instead of a zester for the lemon strips so they are easy to remove before serving
  • The syrup thickens as it cools, so do not reduce it too much or it will become jelly

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