Amber Pear Paste

One of my friends has a massive grafted pear tree in his yard including the varieties Winter Cole, Willams and Beurre Bosc. Every year it produces buckets and buckets of pears and really, how many pears can one man eat? He gifts them my way and I make pear paste to sell at the local farmers market. It has a rich amber colour and an intense flavor. Perfect with a cheese plate, as a glaze on baked ham or as a condiment with roast meat. A lot of work, but a great result. 

What you need.....

2 kg pears
Water
2 kg sugar
1 lemon, halved


Make it happen....

1. Wash and core the pears, don't be to fussy as they are passed through a fine sieve later on.


2. Place the pears and the halved lemon into a large pot and add a little water to half cover them. Bring to the boil and reduce to a simmer until the pears are soft and mushy.

3. Pass the pears through a fine sieve to ensure a smooth result  - don't cheat at this stage! 

4. Return the pear pulp to a large pot, add the sugar and bring to the boil, reduce the heat and let it bubble away for 2 hours stirring at least every 10 min to reduce the chance of sticking. 


5. Skim any sugar scum of the top and discard. Once the paste has reduced, thickened and become a dark amber colour it is ready to dry. Pour the thick paste into the required form - I use silicon muffin forms or you can dry the whole mixture as one in a lined slice tin and cut it into squares later.

6. Place the paste in the oven on the lowest setting, you really just want it to dry out so if it's a sunny day you can sit it in a window or other warm spot. Drying can take up to three days, but it is worth the wait. The choice of consistency is up to.

This is a real process but the result is worth the effort. I now know why quince and pear paste is so expensive. Once you have made your paste you can store it in an air tight container for up to a year - if it lasts that long!

K