Sweet and a little spicy, this Pear Simple Syrup is the perfect sweetener for your favorite cocktails and mocktails! Or, try it with breakfast or over vanilla ice cream for a yummy addition to a simple sweet treat! All you need is 7 simple ingredients!
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Perfect for adding to drinks and cocktails. Skip buying the store-bought simple syrups that have tons of fake ingredients, preservatives, and corn syrup and make your own high quality simple syrup from scratch. It can be added to tons of drinks and cocktails throughout the week for a festive pear twist.
- Long lasting. This pear syrup will keep for several days, even months if stored properly in the freezer. Make it once and enjoy it throughout the fall and winter season.
- Makes a thoughtful neighbor or teacher gift. If you love gifting your neighbors and teachers in your life with homemade gifts, this homemade pear syrup is the perfect thing! Bundle it up with a small bottle of Prosecco or mocktail mix and put it in a cute basket.
Tools You'll Need
- 1 liquid measuring cup
- 1 set of measuring spoons
- 1 kitchen knife
- 1 cutting board
- 1 medium sauce pan
- 1 mesh strainer
- 1 glass jar
Ingredients
The star of this pear syrup is red anjou pears. They're mild in flavor, extra sweet and most importantly, not grainy! The red color in the skin also gives this syrup a pretty, light pink color.
In addition to pears you'll need granulated sugar, fresh lemons, ginger, and a simple blend of whole cloves, cinnamon sticks, and vanilla. Simple, yet oh so flavorful!
Substitutions
- Try apples. If you do not have pears on hand, try swapping them with your favorite apples. They'll make a similar, sweet syrup and are also in season during the fall and winter.
- Swap the sugar for brown sugar. If desired, you can replace half of the white, granulated sugar for light brown syrup or dark brown syrup. This is going to make a bolder, caramel-like syrup.
How to Make Pear Simple Syrup
- Simmer ingredients for 30 minutes. Place all ingredients in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Let the fruit mixture simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 30 minutes. Periodically “mash” the pears to release more of the flavor and liquid from the pears.
- Strain and cool. Once the syrup has simmered and the pears are tender, remove from the heat. Strain through a fine mesh strainer into a glass or heat-safe plastic container. Discard the leftover fruit pulp and spices. Let the pear syrup cool completely before placing in a mason jar.
Prep Ahead Options
This pear syrup will last for up to 7 days in the refrigerator or 2 months in the freezer. If you are preparing pear syrup for hosting guests, feel free to make it a few days in advance and keep in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
Serving Suggestions
Using pear syrup to sweeten cocktails and cocktails is one of my favorite ways to use it. However, there are a number of ways to use it up other than in drinks. Here are a few of my favorite:
- Drizzled on oatmeal
- Serve with pancakes, waffles, or fresh toast
- Added to a tangy salad dressing
- Drizzled on a fluffy cake
- Whipped into Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting for a pear twist
- Drizzled over a fruit salad
- Serve over vanilla ice cream
FAQs
I have personally never tested canning this pear syrup, but I am sure it can be done as long as you use hot sterile jars. You may find this resource, A Beginner's Guide to Canning, useful.
No, it is not necessary and actually better to simmer the pear syrup with peels and rinds on! There is a lot of flavor and oils, particularly in lemon rinds, and peeling it would mean you miss out on that flavor. And since this syrup is strained through a fine mesh syrup, you don't need to worry about their being any pulp or fruit skins leftover in your syrup.
Aside from eating them on their own as a healthy snack, pears can also be served caramelized on top of overnight oats, waffles, pancakes, or even baked in cakes. Don't be afraid to experiment!
Tips and Tricks for Success
- Make sure to strain the pear syrup into a container. This might be obvious, but if you are on autopilot and not thinking, you might drain the syrup directly into the kitchen sink and pour your simple syrup down the drain. Make sure to add something to catch the syrup before straining!
- Do not bring to a boil. If the stove is too hot and the pear syrup begins to simmer vigorously or boil, a greater portion of the liquid will cook off and make the syrup much, much thicker. For best results, simmer gently.
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Pear Simple Syrup
Ingredients
- 3 each medium pears halved and seeded
- 1 ½ cups water
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 each lemon halved
- ½ cup fresh ginger sliced
- 2 each cinnamon sticks
- ½ teaspoon whole cloves
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
- Place all ingredients in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Let the mixture simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 30 minutes or until the pears are tender. While the mixture is simmering, periodically “mash” the pears to release more of the flavor and liquid from the pears.
- Once the mixture has simmered, and the pears are tender, remove from the heat. Strain through a fine mesh strainer, until all liquid is strained. Let cool completely before placing in a mason jar. Store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
- The pear syrup may also be frozen for up to 2 months.
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