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Instant Pot Spiced Blackberry Poached Pears – No Added Sugar

Poached pear in a white bowl with ice cream

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4.8 from 5 reviews

Perfectly poached pears in a fraction of the time.

Ingredients

Scale

For Poached Pears

  • 46 firm pears
  • unsweetened apple juice or apple cider – enough to cover the pears, 4 – 6 cups
  • 1 cup blackberries (frozen give more color to the pears)
  • 2 cinnamon sticks
  • 2 star anise
  • 5 cardamom pods
  • 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract

For Poached Pear Dessert

  • vanilla ice cream or whipped cream
  • fresh blackberries, sliced top to bottom

For Poached Pear Salad

  • mixed greens
  • sliced or chopped Poached Pears
  • pistachio nuts
  • fresh blackberries, sliced top to bottom
  • crumbled goat cheese
  • baked crispy prosciutto (see note)
  • diced avocado
  • Apple Cider Vinaigrette (storebought or see homemade recipe below)

For the Apple Cider Vinaigrette

  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • pinch of kosher salt and coarse black pepper to taste

Instructions

For Poached Pears

  1. Peel pears and leave whole.  Cut bottoms, so they sit flat when the stem is facing up.  
  2. Add pears to the pressure cooker pot, stem up and pour in apple juice to cover three-quarters of the pears.  
  3. Add blackberries, cinnamon sticks, star anise, cardamom pods, and vanilla extract, making sure they are immersed in the apple juice.  
  4. Secure the lid and turn pressure release knob to a sealed position. Cook at high pressure for 6 minutes.
  5. When cooking is complete, use a quick release.
  6. If the pears aren’t stained as much as you would like, lay them on their sides in the juice for a minute or two.
  7. Carefully remove the pears from the pot with a slotted spoon.  
  8. Place a fine mesh strainer over a bowl and pour remaining liquid into the bowl.  

Serving options

Poached Pear Dessert

  1. Leave pears whole or slice in half and scoop out the core with a small spoon or melon baller.  Serve in a bowl topped with ice cream, a small ladle of the leftover juice, and fresh blackberries.

Poached Pear Salad

  1. Prepare Apple Cider Vinaigrette by vigorously whisking all of the ingredients in a small bowl.  Blender or food processor works as well.
  2. To individual plates or on a large platter or cutting board, make a bed of mixed greens.  Evenly scatter toppings over greens.  Drizzle with Apple Cider Vinaigrette.

Notes

  • Reserve the extra poaching liquid.  Serve with the poached pears, drink it hot or cold (it’s like a hot apple cider with a blackberry twist), or use it to poach another batch of pears.
  • How to make Crispy Baked Prosciutto: Preheat oven to 375° F.  Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.  Lay slices of prosciutto on top (don’t overlap).  Bake until golden, about 15 minutes.  It will crisp more as it cools.
  • If you don’t want to buy a full bottle of the spices above, check your bulk section of the grocery store.  You can buy what you need for this recipe for very cheap there.
  • Nutrition facts are only for the pear.  It will vary depending on how you serve it.