Poached pears

[aidensnd2]

How long can you keep pears once they are poached? They need to stay firm as they will be baked at service. Normally I cool the poaching liquid (simple syrup) in an ice bath and then store the pears in the liquid, typically I finish them the next day, but what's the max number of days they would stay good for without the quality deteriorating? Also, how many times would you reuse the poaching liquid? Can I basically just keep the same batch and just add to it as needed?

Thanks in advance.

[KarenS]

I just started poaching pears last week. I believe that they will last a few weeks- me I end up doing them every third or fourth day. I use them for many things (and people learn to love pears). I use wine, sugar, water, cinnamon sticks, star anise, used vanilla bean, cloves, orange, freshly grated big island nutmeg (plus the mace), pepper and bay leaf.

[Wendy DeBord]

I've held them for 2 weeks. But I've never baked them after..........it worries me that they wouldn't bake well at that point. I don't think I'd go more then 1 week in advance.

I poach mine with 50/50 sweet wine (reisling) and water, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon stick.

I don't keep my poaching liquid, typically. It becomes darker as it intensifies so it darkens your pears.

[adoxograph]

We just had our exam on plated desserts and this was one of the exam questions. Ha! I got it correct, so I'll just add the answer here.

We keep our pears after poaching for no more than a week and a half. We use fresh liquid each time for the exact reason Sinclair mentioned.

now let's see how the last of my practical exam comes out... :)

[aidensnd2]

Cool, thanks for the replies, I never would have guessed they would keep for that long.

You are all storing the pears in the poaching liquid though right?

Edited October 8, 2004 by aidensnd (log)

[Wendy DeBord]

Yes, store in your poaching liquid. Provided that you love the taste of it because the flavor will continue to penitrate the fruit.

I've had to use canned pears for an item I doing tonight. As suggested in the recipe (from Herme) I drained the canning liquid and have been marinating them in my own liquid. It's working, they are taking on my flavors.

[boulak]

I've held them for 2 weeks. But I've never baked them after..........it worries me that they wouldn't bake well at that point. I don't think I'd go more then 1 week in advance.

I poach mine with 50/50 sweet wine (reisling) and water, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon stick.

I don't keep my poaching liquid, typically. It becomes darker as it intensifies so it darkens your pears.

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I have made some nice jellies from the poaching liquid. After two or three poaches, the flavor is really nice. I like the flavor of the jelly better when less wine has been used

[mklynch]

I've reduced the poaching liquid to a syrup and used it to paint plates.

I've also reused it to poach berries, strained it, reduced it, then made it into a sorbet. Can't say I've ever thrown out the poaching liquid.