Cooking with Spices For Dummies
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This basic recipe works equally well for apples, pears, or dried fruit. Fruit that has been poached in spiced liquid makes a delicious dessert. Poached dried fruit is also good for breakfast or brunch.

Pears in red wine sauce is just one of the many options you have for this recipe. [Credit: ©iS
Credit: ©iStockphoto.com/Maica
Pears in red wine sauce is just one of the many options you have for this recipe.

Yield: 6 servings

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: About 35 minutes

Spice meter: Moderately spiced

1 cup dry red or dry white wine

1-1/2 cups water

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup honey

1/2-inch piece ginger, unpeeled and sliced into coin-size rounds

1/2 cinnamon stick or 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

4 whole cloves or 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg

2-inch strip fresh lemon or orange zest, white pith removed

1-1/2 pounds peeled and halved apples or pears or 3/4 pound dried fruit mix — prunes, apricots, peaches, cherries, cranberries, and so on, about 3 cups

  1. In a medium-size saucepan over medium heat, combine the wine, water, sugar, honey, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and lemon zest. Bring the liquid to a boil.

  2. Add the fruit and cook, turning the fruit occasionally until it’s tender and easily pierced with a paring knife. This will take 20 to 40 minutes for fresh fruit, depending on the size and ripeness, or 35 minutes for dried fruit.

  3. Remove the pan from the stove. Transfer the fruit to a bowl.

  4. Return the pan to the stove over medium-high heat and cook the liquid until it’s reduced by one-third, about 10 to 15 minutes. Remove the whole spices if you wish. Cool the liquid slightly and pour it over the fruit. Serve warm or chilled.

Poached fresh fruit will keep in its liquid in a covered container for up to 3 days; poached dried fruit keeps for 3 to 4 weeks. Both should be refrigerated.

Per serving: Calories 176 (From Fat 4); Fat 0g (Saturated 0g); Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 1mg; Carbohydrate 46g (Dietary Fiber 2g); Protein 0g.

About This Article

This article is from the book:

About the book author:

Jenna Holst is the author of Stews, (Hungry Minds, 1998) and Cooking Soups for Dummies, (Hungry Minds, 2001). Her work has been featured in many national magazines, including Food & Wine, Weight Watchers, and Reedbook. She has worked for many years as a food writer, culinary instructor, and consultant. Her clients have included several book publishers as well as PBS and cable television programs. Formerly a resident of New Jersey, she currently lives in South Africa.

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