Chilled Cooked Pear Sauce

This pear sauce came about from making marmalade. Besides marmalade being impossible to find organic, it was also rare to find it without pectin. So I did my internet search looking for a recipe without pectin. I knew there had to be one, since people have been making jams and jellies forever, and I was sure they didn’t have to buy something in a box to make them. In my search, I was pleased to discovered that many fruits have natural pectin in them. The pectin in oranges is mostly in the white pith. It was suggested in one recipe that some pectin would be released if you soaked the fruit in water overnight. So I made my first marmalade this way, and it was better than any I had ever bought! This success got me wondering what other fruits might have natural pectin. I found that apples, pears and some other fruits do too. This was great news for me, because I have been making pear sauce for thirty years and had been relying on a lot of sugar to thicken it. So I did the soak method to make a batch of my pear sauce and it turned out great!

I have only made this once recently, so I don’t want to give specific measurements because different pears taste different and have different sweetness. Start though with a non-metallic bowl that will fit the amount of pears you are using. I like a glass bowl. Put a cup of water in it and a tablespoon of lemon juice for each two pears you are using. Peel the pears, slice them thin and put them in the lemon water, and toss to coat them. This lemon water will help keep the pears from browning. Mine browned a little bit at the top. After you get all the pear slices in, fill the bowl with filtered water to cover all the pear slices, cover and let sit overnight.

After the pears have soaked for a good ten to twelve hours put the pears and their water in a non- metallic pot and bring them to a boil. Add in the zest of one lemon for every 3 or 4 pears, or more for more lemon flavor. I also added in some fresh nutmeg. Add in some sugar, depending on the sweetness of the pears, like a quarter cup for every two pears. You might even try this with no sugar. I haven’t tried that. Cook the pears on a medium heat until they soften up, about thirty minutes. Taste them at this point and see if you might want them sweeter with more sugar or add more lemon if you want them less sweet. Use a wire potato masher to break up the slices a bit, or an emersion blender to make it less chunky. I like it chunky. Turn off the heat and let this completely cool with the lid off, so it can evaporate and thicken more. Chill and enjoy!