Saffron poached pear is a simple, bright yellow-colored, and rich dessert that can not be easily missed. This saffron poached pears recipe is alcohol-free, elegant looking, packed with flavors, and easy to make.
About This Recipe
Ripe pears have a golden color, and mildly sweet flesh, with a soft core and juicy texture that is perfect for fall desserts. Saffron poached pears feature tender pears steeped in a sweet saffron syrup that coats them beautifully. The saffron adds a brilliant yellow color, a hint of floral sweetness infusing the pears with flavor making them an irresistible treat for anyone who loves fruity and sweet desserts.
The method of poaching is based on the logic of slow cooking in a low-temperature liquid mixture or water. The pears you cook with this method are tender and very light. Unlike the boiling technique, fruits or any other ingredients do not fall apart when cooking because the liquid temperature is low. Especially fish and seafood, eggs, soft vegetables, and fruits that are likely to fall apart while cooking can be cooked with this method.
Why You Will Love This Recipe
- Packed with flavor: Poached pears are steeped in a fragrant syrup made up of sugar, water, cardamom, and saffron. You will love the burst of flavor and aroma they release.
- Easy to make: Saffron poached pears are tasty and easy to prepare. Perfect for a dinner party or weekend dessert.
- Uses pantry ingredients: This sweet dessert is beyond easy to make and you can find all the ingredients already in your kitchen.
What You’ll Need for This Recipe
- Pears: You can use any variety of pears you like.
- Sugar: You can use white granulated sugar.
- Saffron: Adding saffron gives a lovely color and sweet taste to the dessert.
- Green cardamom pods: Green cardamom adds a sweet and spicy flavor to the poached pears.
How to Make Saffron Poached Pears
- Do not cut off the pear’s stems. Cut a thin piece off the bottom of each pear to make it stand upright. Peel the pears carefully with the peeler.
- Put saffron and a little sugar in a mortar and pestle and grind. Add 4 tablespoons of boiling hot water to saffron and leave it for 15 minutes.
- Pour 3 glasses of water into a pot. Add sugar to water and bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat to medium-low and then put peeled pears into the pot.
- Add bloomed saffron, a cinnamon stick, and cardamom pods to the liquid.
- Let the pears simmer and poach in the saffron liquid on medium-low heat for 30 to 40 minutes. About 2/3 of the liquid evaporates and 1/3 of it remains. Turn the pears every few minutes so that the saffron liquid reaches everywhere.
- Remove the pot from heat and allow the poached pears to cool down.
- Put the pears in a dish, remove the cinnamon stick and cardamom pods from the liquid.
- Put the rest of the syrup on the heat to thicken a little.
- Let the syrup cool a bit pour it on the poached pears and serve with ice cream or chopped walnuts pistachios and chocolate sauce.
FAQs
How to Use Saffron?
Saffron is the most famous and expensive spice that is widely used in Middle Eastern food and all kinds of cookies and desserts like Sholeh Zard and Masghati. This spice has a very dominant taste and unique aroma and should be used in powdered form. Saffron should be brewed with water before use to release its color and aroma.
Choose the Best Pears for Saffron Poached Pears
Pears should not be too firm and overripe to lose their shape when cooked. Try using yellow pears to have a bright and vibrant in color dessert.
How to Bloom Saffron?
To brew saffron, it is usually first ground in a mortar and pestle to release its taste and color. If you do not have a mortar in the kitchen, the best and easiest way is to grind saffron with a spoon. After grinding saffron, pour it into a small amount of boiling water and leave it for 15 minutes to give the color and taste of saffron to water. It is better to keep the container closed so that the aroma of saffron is doubled.
Expert Tips
- Do not cut off the pear’s stems. Cut a thin piece off the bottom of each pear to make it stand upright.
- Peel the pears carefully with the peeler.
- Be careful not to burn the sugar on high heat while preparing the syrup.
- You can serve the poached pear dessert with chocolate sauce, whipped cream, or ice cream.
- In this recipe, I used only saffron and green cardamom to color and flavor the pears. You can also use cinnamon, vanilla, and ginger.
- My saffron poached pear recipe is alcohol-free. If you want the color of pears to turn red without using wine, you can use a little sour cherry juice.
Did you like the saffron poached pears recipe? Leave your comment below and If you make this recipe, be sure to tag your photos #yummynotes 
Ingredients
- 4 ripe pears
- 1/8 teaspoon ground saffron
- 2 cardamom pods
- 150gr sugar
- 1 cinnamon stick
Instructions
Step 1
Do not cut off the pear's stems. Cut a thin piece off the bottom of each pear to make it stand upright. Peel the pears carefully with the peeler.
Step 2
Put saffron and a little sugar in a mortar and pestle and grind. Add 4 tablespoons of boiling hot water to saffron and leave it for 15 minutes.
Step 4
Pour 3 glasses of water into a pot. Add sugar to water and bring to a boil.
Step 5
Reduce heat to medium-low and then put peeled pears into the pot.
Step 6
Add bloomed saffron, a cinnamon stick, and cardamom pods to the liquid.
Step 7
Let the pears simmer and poach in the saffron liquid on medium-low heat for 30 to 40 minutes. About 2/3 of the liquid evaporates and 1/3 of it remains. Turn the pears every few minutes so that the saffron liquid reaches everywhere.
Step 8
Remove the pot from heat and allow the poached pears to cool down.
Step 9
Put the pears in a dish, remove the cinnamon stick and cardamom pods from the liquid.
Step 10
Put the rest of the syrup on the heat to thicken a little.
Step 11
Let the syrup cool a bit and pour it on the poached pears and serve with ice cream or chopped walnuts and pistachios and chocolate sauce.
