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Somerset Pears

Ready in 35 mins

Recipe by Graham 

Somerset Pears are very much an 'adult' taste being slightly tangy rather than sweet. They can be served either hot or cold with a little cream.

Preparation Time

5 Minutes

Cooking Time

30 Minutes

Ingredients for Somerset Pears

If you are not familiar with any ingredients, please check our International Cooking Terms page.

Currently displaying quantities in US Imperial Measurements

To serve 4:

¼ pint dry cider
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon sugar
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  pinch grated nutmeg
1 orange
4 pears

How to Cook Somerset Pears

  1. Finely grate (shred) the rind of the orange (the inside of the orange can still be eaten normally). Place the cider, lemon juice, sugar cinnamon, orange rind and nutmeg into a pan. Bring to the boil then turn down the heat, cover and simmer gently for 5 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile, peel the pears, cut them in half lengthways and remove the cores**. Place the pears in the liquid and simmer very gently for 20-30 minutes until they are soft. Lift the pears onto a serving dish and pour the liquid over. Serve with a spoon of ice cream.
  3. **If you feel confident, peel the pears leaving them intact with the stalk then core them using an old-fashioned potato peeler. You can them present them whole at the table as in the photo.
GRAHAM'S HOT TIP:
If you want to sweeten this dessert a little, you can replace the lemon juice with 1 tablespoon of orange juice.