What do you do with a bag of very ripe/almost rotting pears? Throw them away, no. Put them on the compost heap, no. Make a pear & vanilla caramel spread of course! I recently discovered a bag of pears when I came back from my trip downunder. I was quite impressed they lasted that long considering I was away for a bit. Trying to reduce the amount of food wastage whenever possible (hence my fridge being full of little tupperware containers of leftovers or me constantly giving away food). I am on a constant search of making the most of the ingredients.

This recipe is similar to the Belgian “Sirop de liège” a gooey syrup made from pear and apple juice. The apples and pears are stewed for so long to create a dark almost molasses kind of syrup which is spread on toast or even used in savoury dishes. My version is slightly less time consuming and therefore lighter in colour. If you want a darker colour, stew the pears for longer, so they “caramelise” (slightly burn) before extracting the juice.

The bread in the shot is a slice of homemade sourdough made by a friend of mine who gave me a crash course in sourdough today. I have now got my own “live” sourdough, so I’ll be giving sourdough bread a go myself soon. Fingers crossed and mine will be as good.

1,5kg pears
200g sugar
50ml water
1 vanilla pod, cut in half
pinch of salt

Cut the vanilla pod in half and scrape out the vanilla grains add to a large pot with the pod, pears chopped into large pieces and water. Cook on a low heat for 1 hour with the cover on. Stir occasionally. Once the pears have become soft and pulpy, take off the heat.

Pass the mixture through a jam bag or very fine nylon sieve. Be careful not to push the mixture too hard if the sieve is not very fine as otherwise you will get a fruit puree in the juice mixture.

Return the extracted juice to a large pan with the sugar and salt. Simmer on a low heat for 30 minutes or until the juice has become a sticky syrup. It will thicken and set once cold, so do not overcook.

Pour into a sterilised jar* and close tightly. This will keep unopened for at least 6 months. Keep in a cool and dark cupboard. Once opened store in the fridge.

*To sterilise jars, wash in soapy water, rinse well and then place open in a cool oven at 130°c for 15-20 minutes.

Tags: easy recipes, sirop de liège, waste