Pear and vanilla "honey"
A jam with a honey consistency
Published originally on my blog on 15 January 2014
Pears were never my favorite fruit. That slightly grainy and at the same time slippery smooth texture put me off. S on the other hand, loves them.
From autumn till late winter, pears adorn our oversized fruit bowl and he always seems to munch on them after dinner.
I can’t say that I have somehow miraculously converted to eating them, but this recipe made me reconsider my relationship with the fruit.
Let me introduce you to the pear and vanilla honey and to make things clear, it doesn’t contain honey. This is like a jam but with a honey consistency. And it is dreamy.
The idea of making this came from an experiment I made a long time ago with apples. I wanted to make apple jelly but ended up making apple honey. It never occurred to me to apply the process to other fruits but when I had some Conference pears staring at me from the fruit bowl, the decision was made. Pear honey it was.
I made it a couple of times since that first time and S polishes off a couple of small jars all by himself.
As for me, it is something I go for in the mornings instead of my beloved strawberry and raspberry jams. That speaks volumes about how good it is.
It is incredibly aromatic and not very sweet, with the right amount of acidity from the lemon and a spicy quality from the vanilla. With a smooth and ever-so-slightly grainy texture from the pear, it flows like honey without the stickiness.
I made brioche the other day and when I smeared some of the pear honey over a thin slice, it was magical. It was what breakfast dreams are made of. A couple days ago though, when I was craving a savory nibble, I paired the pear honey with mature Gruyère cheese and some crusty bread, and I was enchanted by the combination of savory and sweet.
Pear honey, you are a wonderful thing.
PS. I need to share the recipe for this brioche bread, soon.
Pear and Vanilla “Honey”
I used Conference pears; the most common European pear. Their flesh is grainy, sweet and juicy and perfect for this pear honey.
Use ripe but not overripe pears.
By the way, the pear honey is a perfect pair to these Parmesan biscuits.
