Don’t you love the fruits of Autumn – pears, apples, plums and rich fruits that speak of comfort, coziness and snuggling up by the fire on long winter nights.
These fruits pack a punch of flavour in their raw form and also transfer this beautifully to alcohol when allowed to steep over time.
Drinks and liqueurs made from fruits make wonderful gifts especially at Christmas time. Starting now means that you can have time on your side – flavours will merge and strengthen and character develop all while you do nothing at all. A win, win situation if ever there was one!
This pear liqueur is a perfect example.
Making pear liqueur couldn’t be easier, it is just a matter of bringing together a few simple ingredients and letting good old Mother Nature do the work.
This liqueur takes a total of 2 months to mature so now is the time to get started if you want to present it as a gorgeous gift at Christmas time.
Pear Liqueur
1 large pear the William variety is perfect for this
1/2 cinnamon stick
1/4 nutmeg broken into small pieces
2 strips of dried orange peel
6 cloves
500ml vodka
150g/5oz caster sugar
Make sure you have a ripe yet unblemished pear and rinse and pat dry
Pierce the pear all over with a fine skewer
Place the pear in a sterilised glass jar that it fits quite snugly and will allow your 500ml vodka
Add the spices and orange peel
(to make the dried orange peel simply use a potato peeler to peel strips of skin off an unwaxed (or well scrubbed and rinsed orange) making sure you just take the skin and not the bitter white pith. Leave this on a radiator or in an airing cupboard overnight, or warm in a very low oven till completely dried. This intensifies that wonderful orange flavour)
Fill jar with vodka and pop on the lid
Set on a sunny windowsill for 2 weeks. It looks rather pretty so is no hardship to have around!
After 2 weeks open the jar and add the sugar
Shake well and set aside in a cool dark cupboard for a further 6 weeks making sure you give it a shake every day or so to get that sugar to completely dissolve
Remove pear and spices from the jar and strain the contents through a sieve lined with a double layer of muslin (or use a coffee filter), I like to do this part twice to get a really clear liqueur.
Decant the liquid into a sterilised bottle and enjoy at your leasure
Pear liqueur is wonderful serve really chilled after a meal or used as part of a martini at cocktail hour.
Cheers!
Karon x
Pear Liqueur
Ingredients
- 1 large pear the William variety is perfect for this
- 1/2 cinnamon stick
- 1/4 nutmeg broken into small pieces
- 2 strips of dried orange peel
- 6 cloves
- 500 ml vodka
- 150 g/5oz caster sugar
Instructions
- Make sure you have a ripe yet unblemished pear and rinse and pat dry
- Pierce the pear all over with a fine skewer
- Place the pear in a sterilised glass jar that it fits quite snugly and will allow your 500ml vodka
- Add the spices and orange peel
- (to make the dried orange peel simply use a potato peeler to peel strips of skin off an unwaxed (or well scrubbed and rinsed orange) making sure you just take the skin and not the bitter white pith. Leave this on a radiator or in an airing cupboard overnight, or warm in a very low oven till completely dried. This intensifies that wonderful orange flavour)
- Fill jar with vodka and pop on the lid
- Set on a sunny windowsill for 2 weeks. It looks rather pretty so is no hardship to have around!
- After 2 weeks open the jar and add the sugar
- Shake well and set aside in a cool dark cupboard for a further 6 weeks making sure you give it a shake every day or so to get that sugar to completely dissolve
- Remove pear and spices from the jar and strain the contents through a sieve lined with a double layer of muslin (or use a coffee filter), I like to do this part twice to get a really clear liqueur.
- Decant the liquid into a sterilised bottle and enjoy at your leasure
susan says
September 29, 2015 at 1:37 pmHi there ! I was looking for an interesting recipe for the hundreds of pears we have in our garden and this looks really interesting. Can it be done in big batches – using say 10 pears at a time ?
Karon Grieve says
September 30, 2015 at 11:56 amHi Susan
Yes just multiply the quantities and it should work out fine.
K x
Jacqui says
October 3, 2015 at 5:15 pmI have been given a lot of conference pears – you have said Williams are perfect will I get just as good as result with conference pears ?
John Covino says
November 6, 2015 at 2:40 pmVery nice blog and recipes. I have a quick question. For the first 2 weeks can I use a glass cookie jar where the lid does not seal? The lid it just sits ontop of the jar. The reason is I want to make a double to triple batch of this. Thank you,
John
Karon Grieve says
November 8, 2015 at 11:23 amHi John
Wrap some clingfilm over top of jar and then add the lid. This will give you a better seal to stop air getting into the jar.
Enjoy
K x
John says
January 12, 2016 at 1:49 pmHi it is me again. I am so excited to try my Pear liqueur this weekend. I made a few quarts of it as I want to give some away too. My question is what do you usually do with all the lovely pears that have been sitting in the jars. Seems like such a waste to throw them out. If I eat them all that would get sloppy lol. Any ideas would be appreciated.
Thank you,
John
Karon Grieve says
January 13, 2016 at 7:53 amHi John
Try mixing the boozy pears with ‘normal’ cooked pears in a crumble or pie or just with custard as an adults only dessert.
K x
Janice says
April 2, 2016 at 9:23 pmSounds delicious Karon.
Karon Grieve says
April 17, 2016 at 1:05 pmThanks Janice
K x
John Covino says
June 7, 2016 at 8:49 pmI am on my last jar of pear liqueur. I am going to try my hand at cherry liqueur this weekend. The pear was a magnificent hit to all that tasted and when my pear tree blooms this year I will definitely be creating another batch and using this recipe. Thanks again for sharing.
Karon Grieve says
June 20, 2016 at 5:56 pmGlad the pear liqueur was such a success, try the cherry brandy.
All best
K x
Karon Grieve says
July 28, 2016 at 9:26 amGlad the recipe was so good and you’ll be trying more of them.
K
holly dickens says
July 3, 2016 at 7:35 pmHi there,
I made your pear liqueur last fall, went to mexico for 2 months, came home and enjoyed it immensely with Prosecco, or in my Pimm’s #1 and ginger ale. I will be making a much larger quantity this year as it tasted delicious and was the most beautiful brandy color. Thank you so much !!!
Karon Grieve says
July 28, 2016 at 9:22 amGlad it was such a success for you.
K x
Karon Grieve says
July 28, 2016 at 9:25 amGlad the recipe was such a success for you.
K
Katie says
August 14, 2016 at 6:08 pmFor the nutmeg, how do you break it into fourths?
Karon Grieve says
August 23, 2016 at 7:20 pmyou grate it
K x
pat loidolt says
September 17, 2016 at 12:51 amWhat do i do if i dont have whole nutmeg or cardomon
Karon Grieve says
September 23, 2016 at 8:52 amYou can’t use the ground variety I’m afraid
K
Fiona Willetts says
October 3, 2016 at 2:37 pmI noticed someone further up the list of comments asked if Conference pears would be ok to use for this lovely stuff… but there was no answer posted. So I would like to ask this question myself, as this is what I have to use.. I’m very keen to try this this year as my pear tree is laden!!
I Look forward to hearing your answer!
Karon Grieve says
October 12, 2016 at 12:47 pmYou can use any pears you like
K x
David Kramer says
November 14, 2016 at 5:35 amYou state to use 1/4 nutmeg, but then you state to grate a nutmeg to get the 1/4 but that you can’t use ground. There must be some language difference; grate does not equal ground? Do you smash one whole nutmeg and then approximate what 1/4 of the it would be using the pieces? Please clarify how you get 1/4 of a whole nutmeg. Thank you.
Karon Grieve says
November 25, 2016 at 9:38 amJust use ground stuff 1/4 tsp
K
Diane Kern says
November 17, 2016 at 5:31 amSo disappointed.! I just strained my liqueur mixture after weeks of diligently tipping everydau. The color is gorgeous but it tastes like turpentine! Could I add some simple syrup or something to salvage my endeavor? Or any other ideas?
Karon Grieve says
November 25, 2016 at 9:35 amNever had this problem. Yes maybe add some simple syrup to sweeten things up a bit.
K x
Becky says
August 28, 2017 at 12:48 pmI have a pair tree in my garden and I have just picked 12 big food bags full of pairs! (28th August 2017)
I would like to make this liqueur for Christmas presents. Is it a maximum of 2 months you can leave it or can you leave it longer? Would it be ok to make it now and do as directed the first 2 weeks then leave until Christmas?
Karon Grieve says
September 4, 2017 at 9:22 amyes that sounds fine
K x
Mary McGrory says
October 24, 2017 at 7:35 amHello, I currently have a pear sitting in a sealed glass jar of vodka. It’s been in there for a week but it has turned very brown already and I just wanted to check if this is what should happen or has my batch somehow been spoiled. The brown started as little pin pricks where I pierced the pear skin but it has now spread all over even though the pear is completely submerged.
Karon Grieve says
November 23, 2017 at 8:22 amIt should still be fine, its the pear flavour you are getting in the liqueur, you’ll be getting rid of pear itself.
Erika H says
December 17, 2017 at 3:34 amMine did that too. I just strained it yesterday and threw outtue pear. The Liqueur tastes wonderful!
Karon Grieve says
December 20, 2017 at 3:12 pmAs long as it tastes good.
K x
Josie says
December 9, 2017 at 3:00 amCocktail recipe ideas? I made several batches of this and have one week left till it’s ready. I’m not sure how to serve this.
Karon Grieve says
December 20, 2017 at 3:14 pmJust serve chilled in small glass as a liqueur.
K x
Karon Grieve says
January 24, 2018 at 11:46 amYes just use Everclear, we don’t get that here.
K x
Fiona says
September 11, 2018 at 1:48 pmWhat is everclear?
Karon Grieve says
September 17, 2018 at 4:39 pmdo not know what you are talking about
Karon Grieve says
September 17, 2018 at 4:46 pmDon’t know what you are talking about
Karon Grieve says
January 24, 2018 at 11:58 amyes use Everclear.
Bea says
May 28, 2018 at 12:22 amWhat is the shelf life after it’s completely done? Thanks
Karon Grieve says
May 29, 2018 at 1:22 pmwill keep for up to a year
K x
Toni says
September 4, 2018 at 11:12 pmI am so very excited to try this. Can I store it in mason jars or would a jar with a stopper be better? And what is the difference between using a rubber stopper and a cork stopper? And thank you for sharing this recipe!
Toni
Karon Grieve says
September 17, 2018 at 4:42 pmI use jars with the rubber ring around stopper so I can shake the jar and not get wet! Corks have a tendancy to come out.
k x
Robert Ross says
October 2, 2018 at 12:46 amI’m excited . . . at the ‘sugar adding stage’ and 5 ounces seems like a lot but will go with the recipe as none of the comments addressed this. However, for future consideration, would less sugar create a dryer liqueur? Going into the dark tonight for 6 weeks and then prep for the holiday giving. Using our wonderful seckel pears!
Karon Grieve says
October 7, 2018 at 10:53 amThe sugar is your sweetener so less is fine but if you cut it out altogether you get a infusion not a liqueur. I find this amount works well for this recipe, it’s up to you.
K x
eliz says
April 1, 2019 at 1:39 amWonderful! I made this recipe 25 yrs ago when it was called “St. Valentine pear liquor”. Lost the recipe,and since it was pre-google, I was never able to find it until now, when I recently found a bottle of the original I made “25 years ago!!!”. It has been sitting undisturbed for all that time and is absolutely fantastic! So now, thanks to google, pinterest and your recipe, I can make more. YaY!
Karon Grieve says
April 9, 2019 at 9:49 amGlad you have found an old favourite here.
K x