Crock Pot Pears: A Simple, Slow-Cooked Delight

how to cook pears in crock pot

Pears can be cooked in a crockpot in a variety of ways, including poaching, making pear sauce, pear butter, and apple-pear crisp. Crockpot poached pears are a light, healthy, and budget-friendly dessert that can be made with just four ingredients. Pear sauce can be made by adding chopped pears, sugar, and cinnamon to the crockpot and cooking on low for four to five hours. Pear butter can be made by adding chopped pears, water, lime juice, brown sugar, ginger, and lime peel to the crockpot and cooking on high for three to four hours. Apple-pear crisp can be made by adding apples, pears, brown sugar, flour, lemon juice, cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg to the crockpot and cooking on low heat for two to three hours or on high heat for 90 minutes.

Characteristics Values
Recipe Slow cooker pear sauce, poached pears, pear butter, apple pear crisp
Ingredients Pears, apple juice, water, lime juice, lemon juice, brown sugar, honey, ginger, lime peel, cinnamon, cinnamon sticks, nutmeg, vanilla, bourbon, walnuts, apple
Preparation Cut pears into chunks, spray slow cooker, cook for 2-5 hours, stir occasionally, blend
Serving suggestions Ice cream, whipped cream, chocolate or caramel sauce, gingerbread, spice cake, oatmeal, yoghurt, toast

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Crockpot poached pears

A great way to cook pears in a crockpot is to poach them. This is a simple, easy, healthy, and impressive dessert that can be made with just four ingredients. It is also a good way to use up ripe pears that are bordering on overripe.

Ingredients

  • 4 large (or 8 small) pears, any variety
  • Apple juice
  • Cinnamon sticks
  • Walnuts

Method

First, peel the pears, leaving the stems on. This makes the pears easier to handle and improves the texture. Cut the bottom of the pears flat so that they will stand up straight when served. Pour apple juice into the bottom of the crockpot and lay the pears on their sides in the juice. Add the cinnamon sticks. Cover and cook on high for an hour or on low for two hours. Halfway through the cooking time, open the lid and turn the pears over to their other side.

Once the pears are cooked, remove them with tongs or a slotted spoon and set them on plates with their stems up. Cut larger pears in half to serve. You can then pour the poaching liquid through a fine-mesh sieve into a saucepan. Add the cinnamon sticks and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes until the sauce has reduced by about a third. Remove the sauce from the heat and stir in the walnuts. Finally, ladle the sauce over the plated pears.

Variations

You can serve the poached pears as they are or with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for an extra decadent dessert. Other variations include adding a drizzle of dark chocolate or caramel sauce, or serving with a sliver of gingerbread or spice cake.

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Slow cooker pear sauce

First, prepare the pears. Any variety of pears can be used, but ensure they are ripe for the best flavour. You do not need to peel the pears as the skin adds flavour and nutrition, but you can if you prefer. Cut the pears into 3/4-inch to 1-inch chunks. If you want to keep the pears upright when serving, cut the bottom flat and leave the stems on for a prettier presentation and easier handling.

Next, prepare your slow cooker. Lightly spray the inside of your slow cooker with cooking spray. You can use a 4-qt slow cooker for this recipe. Add the chopped pears to the slow cooker. For extra flavour, you can add a sweetener such as honey or brown sugar (about 3 tablespoons is enough for the whole recipe), and spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, or ginger. You can also add some lime juice or lemon juice to taste. For a thicker sauce, you can add a tablespoon of bourbon. If you want to make a larger batch, you can add water to the slow cooker to ensure the pears are fully submerged.

Now, it's time to cook the pears. Set your slow cooker to LOW and let the pears cook for 4-5 hours. Stir the mixture occasionally if possible. The cooking time may vary depending on the ripeness of your pears, so keep an eye on them. You'll know they're ready when they're soft.

Finally, blend the pears. Once the pears are soft, remove them from the liquid using a slotted spoon and place them in a blender or a bowl to use an immersion blender. Puree the pears until you achieve a smooth consistency. If the sauce is too runny, you can cook it on the stove to evaporate some of the liquid.

Your slow cooker pear sauce is now ready to enjoy! It's a delicious and versatile treat that can be used in various ways. You can also adjust the recipe by adding different spices or sweeteners to suit your taste preferences.

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Pear butter

Ingredients

  • Pears (any variety)
  • Water
  • Lime juice
  • Brown sugar
  • Ginger
  • Lime peel
  • Nutmeg
  • Vanilla
  • Bourbon

Method

  • Spray the slow cooker lightly with cooking spray.
  • Cut the pears into 3/4-inch to 1-inch chunks (no need to peel them).
  • Add the pears to the slow cooker along with 1/2 cup of water, lime juice, brown sugar, ginger, and lime peel.
  • Turn the slow cooker on to HIGH and cook for 3-4 hours, stirring once every hour.
  • Cook until the pears are soft (the time to reach a soft texture will depend on the ripeness of your pears).
  • When soft, remove the pears from the liquid with a slotted spoon and place them in a blender (or use a bowl and immersion blender).
  • Puree until smooth. If the texture is too runny, cook on the stove to evaporate some liquid.
  • Add spices such as nutmeg, vanilla, and bourbon to taste. Stir well.
  • Spread the warm spiced pear butter on bread, or serve with oatmeal, yogurt, or ice cream.

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Slow cooker apple pear crisp

This slow cooker apple pear crisp recipe is a perfect fall dessert. It combines cinnamon, oats, apples, and pears to create an unbeatable flavor. The recipe is fuss-free and can be whipped up in a slow cooker without any babysitting.

Ingredients:

  • Apples (3)
  • Pears (3)
  • Sugar
  • Cinnamon
  • Oats
  • Flour
  • Butter
  • Vanilla ice cream (optional)
  • Whipped cream (optional)

Instructions:

  • Slice and dice the apples and pears into bite-sized pieces.
  • Mix the apples and pears thoroughly.
  • Add a stick of butter and cut it into the mixture using a fork or a pastry cutter. It should form coarse crumbles.
  • Sprinkle the oat mixture over the fruit.
  • Place a layer of paper towels or a clean dish towel over the slow cooker. This will help absorb the extra moisture and give the crisp a nice texture.
  • Cover the slow cooker and cook on low heat for 2-3 hours or on high heat for 90 minutes.
  • Remove the paper towels/dish towel and continue cooking, uncovered, until the topping is browned and the apples are tender, about 1 hour.
  • Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream, if desired.

This slow cooker apple pear crisp is a delicious and comforting dessert, perfect for cozy fall evenings. Enjoy the warm flavors and the sweet, crispy topping!

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Pear cake with caramel

Ingredients:

  • 4 large pears (or 8 small), peeled, stems on, and bottom cut flat
  • Apple juice
  • 2 cinnamon sticks
  • 1/4 cup walnuts, chopped
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/2 lime, juiced
  • 1/2 lime, peeled
  • 3/4 tsp grated nutmeg
  • 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tbsp bourbon
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 tsp ginger
  • Butter
  • Flour
  • Baking powder
  • Salt

Method:

  • Pour apple juice into the bottom of the crock pot.
  • Peel the pears with a vegetable peeler, leaving the stems on. Place the pears into the crock pot, laying them on their sides.
  • Add the cinnamon sticks to the crock pot.
  • Cover the crock pot and cook on high for 1 hour or on low for 2 hours. Open the lid halfway through cooking to turn the pears to their other side.
  • Once the pears are finished cooking, remove them from the crock pot using tongs or a slotted spoon. Place them on plates with their stems up. Cut larger pears in half.
  • Pour the poaching liquid through a fine-mesh sieve into a saucepan. Add the cinnamon sticks and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Lower the heat and simmer for about 15-20 minutes until the sauce has reduced by about a third.
  • Remove the reduced pear syrup from the heat and stir in the walnuts. Ladle the sauce over the plated pears.
  • In a separate bowl, mix together the water, lime juice, brown sugar, ginger, lime peel, nutmeg, vanilla, and bourbon.
  • Spray the inside of the crock pot with cooking spray.
  • Cut the pears into 3/4-inch to 1-inch chunks and add them to the crock pot along with the mixture from step 8.
  • Turn the crock pot on to high and cook for 3-4 hours, stirring once every hour.
  • Once the pears are soft, remove them from the liquid with a slotted spoon and place them in a blender. Puree until smooth. If the texture is too runny, cook on the stove to evaporate some liquid.
  • In a separate bowl, cream together the butter and brown sugar.
  • In another bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
  • Add the pureed pear mixture to the butter and sugar, and stir until combined.
  • Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, stirring until just combined.
  • Pour the batter into a greased cake pan and bake at 350°F for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
  • Allow the cake to cool slightly before serving.
  • Drizzle the caramel sauce over the pear cake before serving.

This recipe creates a delicious, warm and cozy dessert that is perfect for those colder months. Enjoy the sweet and crispy topping of the pear cake with the indulgent caramel sauce!

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Frequently asked questions

To make crock pot poached pears, first pour apple juice into the bottom of the crock pot. Peel the pears with a vegetable peeler, leaving the stem. Add the pears to the crock pot along with cinnamon sticks and lay them on their sides. For extra flavour, add cloves or walnuts. Cook for an hour on high or two hours on low, opening the lid halfway through to turn the pears to their other side.

You can make a slow cooker apple and pear crisp with a sweet, crispy topping. Simply place the apples and pears into the slow cooker and stir in brown sugar, flour, lemon juice, cinnamon, salt and nutmeg. Cover and cook on low heat for 2-3 hours or high heat for 90 minutes. Remove the lid and continue cooking until the topping is browned.

You can make pear butter in the crock pot, which is delicious on oatmeal, yoghurt or ice cream. Spray the crock pot with cooking spray and add chopped pears (with the skin on), water, lime juice, brown sugar, ginger and lime peel. Cook on high for 3-4 hours, stirring every hour, until the pears are soft. Puree the mixture until smooth.

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