These poached pears are tender, a beautiful shade of pink, and so easy to make. Instead of using wine or syrup, the pears are poached in water and Jell-O packets!
Simple Poached Pears Recipe
If you’re ever in the mood for an incredibly easy dessert that tastes luxurious, then these poached pears are for you. This recipe couldn’t be simpler or easier to make. It only has a few ingredients, and it takes just 40 minutes, most of which is spent simmering the pears. But don’t let the simplicity fool you. These pears look and taste like they came from a fancy restaurant.
This recipe can be tailored to your tastes. You can add additional flavors if you want, and you can top the pears with any of your favorite sweet foods. They work well as a fancy dessert, a tasty snack, or even cut up on top of your breakfast. And if you have a lot of pears you need to use up, this is a great recipe. You can double or triple the batch, and can your leftover poached pears.
What You’ll Need
This recipe only has a few ingredients. Scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of the page to see the exact amount for each ingredient.
- Water
- Jell-O packets – You want to use strawberry or raspberry flavor.
- Pears – The pears need to be peeled, but leave the stem on.
- Honey
- Chopped walnuts – You can use toasted or raw walnuts, whichever you prefer.
- Whipped cream
What Are The Best Pears for Poaching?
I like to use bosc pears for this recipe. They’re not overly sweet, so they can absorb all the flavor from the poaching liquid without getting too sugary. And they’re very firm, so they’re able to hold their shape even after simmering in liquid for half an hour. Bartlett pears are also a common choice for poached pears.
How to Make Poached Pears Without Wine
This easy recipe barely takes any time at all. Here’s how to do it.
- Mix the gelatin. Add the water and the Jell-O packets to a pot, and mix to combine.
- Boil. Bring the liquid to a boil, and stir until the gelatin is fully dissolved.
- Add the pears. Put the pears in the poaching liquid and partially cover the pot.
- Simmer. Turn the heat to medium-low and simmer the pears until they’re tender. This should take 30-35 minutes.
- Cool. Remove the pears from the poaching liquid and let them cool for 5 minutes.
- Serve. Drizzle honey over the pears, and top them with walnuts. Serve with a side of whipped cream.
Tips for Success
Here are a few tricks and tips for getting the most out of this tasty recipe.
- Make jello. After cooking the pears, chill the poaching liquid in the fridge. After a few hours, you’ll have jello! That’s right, this is a two-for-one dessert.
- Can the extras. Since I get more pears than I know what to do with from my pear tree, I like to can this recipe. If you’re into canning, make a large batch of poached pears, can the extras, and then you’ll have a dessert that’s only the twist of a lid away.
- Use filtered water. One easy way to improve your cooking is to use filtered water in recipes. Whether you’re making coffee, soup, or poached pears, always use filtered water in your cooking. The cooking process kills a lot of the harmful bacteria in unfiltered water, but it still doesn’t taste as good, and that will impact your recipes.
- Stir the pears. While the pears are simmering, make sure to occasionally stir them. That way the pears will get evenly coated with the poaching liquid, and they’ll look a lot better.
FAQs
Here are the answers to some common questions about this easy blushing poached pear recipe.
It depends on the size and texture of the pears. Usually it takes 30-35 minutes of simmering for pears to poach. But it could take a little shorter or a little longer depending on the pears that you’re using.
Yes, you need to peel the pears before poaching. If you don’t peel the pears, they won’t be able to absorb the poaching liquid. They won’t taste nearly as good, and they won’t look as good either.
No, it’s best to leave the core in the pears. The core helps the pears stay intact as they cook, and it makes them prettier when you serve them.
Yes, poached pears are softer than raw pears. They’ll still have some texture, but they’ll be significantly more tender.
How to Serve Poached Pears
These pears are perfect as is, especially when topped with the honey, nuts, and whipped cream that the recipe calls for. But I also love to serve them next to, or on top of some of my other favorite desserts, such as Lemon Yogurt Cake, Healthy Apple Cobbler, and Lemon Bread. Sometimes I even put poached pears on some of my favorite breakfast or brunch foods, like Easy Lemon Crepes, Buttermilk Pancakes, and Baked French Toast.
How to Store Leftovers
You can store leftover poached pears in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. I don’t recommend freezing poached pears, but I definitely suggest canning them if you have extras.
More Pear Recipes
I cook pears all the time. That’s partially because of my large pear tree, but also because I think they’re a delicious fruit. Here are a few more of my favorite pear recipes.
- Phyllo-Wrapped Chocolate Pear Dumplings
- Pear Cake with Lemon Glaze
- Easy Orzo Salad with Pears, Walnuts, & Gorgonzola
- Pear Almond Cheesecake Torte
Blushing Poached Pears
Ingredients
- 4 cups of water
- 2 Jell-O packets (3-ounces each), or gelatin powder, strawberry or raspberry flavored
- 4 Bosc pears, peeled, with the stem on
- Honey
- Chopped walnuts
- Whipped cream
Instructions
- Pour the water into a large pot and mix in the gelatin powder.
- Bring the water to a boil and stir to dissolve the gelatin.
- Add in the pears and partially cover the pot with a lid.
- Simmer on medium-low heat for 30 to 35 minutes, or until tender, stirring frequently for an even color.
- Remove the pears and let them cool for 5 minutes.
- Drizzle honey and nuts over the pears, and serve with a side of whipped cream.
Notes
- Use filtered water for the best flavor.
- After poaching the pears, put the poaching liquid in the fridge. After a few hours it will turn into jello.
- Leftover poached pears can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 days.
Nutrition
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
Fruit trees and a vegetable garden! Lucky you!
It’s amazing what mothers can do with Jell-o! 🙂 Love the name for these pears!!! What a beautiful color and they look so delicious! I’m a huge fan of poached pears and very envious of your backyard with all of the fruit trees and that lovely garden! I can see why your favorite picnic ground is right out the back door. 🙂
You have gorgeous garden…and of course back yard. i bet your kids are enjoying every minute..well the older one. I know mine are are always looking forward to visit their grandparents so they can make a mess and run around the backyard.
Now, i wouldn’t mind drooling over any pear recipe. I love pears and I love your post…very tasty recipe, for sure must try!
So colorful and delicious Kate! And what a bountiful backyard you have. I love that Ana calls it the forest. I imagine she enjoys many adventures out there. 🙂
Wow, how lucky you are with all the fruit trees! And your poached pears are gorgeous!
How did you get that perfect color! They must taste delicious!
How simple. Jealous of your backyard! =)
Your backyard does look pretty awesome, and so jealous you have all those fruit trees:-) Your pears are gorgeous, and what a fun idea to add jello. The color of the pears is so vibrant and cheerful! Hugs, Terra
You have an amazing garden…. you are your own fruit and veggie stand! Love these very pretty blushing poached pears….very elegant. 🙂