15
Oct 17
2012

Homemade Pear Liqueur

Condiments, Preserved Foods, Dairy-Free, Fall, Gluten-Free, Recipes, Seasonal

The weather was freaking spectacular today.

Frost and fog early on gave way to a gloriously sunny afternoon: the autumn foliage here in the Hudson Valley has never been more beautiful. At sunset, the thinnest imaginable crescent moon hung in the sky, illuminating clouds that looked like wisps of smoke.

I wish I could have bottled it all up to enjoy a few months from now…just like this pear liqueur.

I first gave this boozy fruit-infused delight a go last fall; I couldn’t wait for pears to come back into season to make another batch. It’s based on the recipe for Pear Cordial in the November/December 2011 issue of Hobby Farm Home magazine, and you’re supposed to allow the pears to rest in the liquid for a month, then strain them out and wait another six before drinking it…such torture! I believe I only held out for 3 months total last time (since I wanted to give a few little jars of it to friends as holiday gifts), but it was still great.

Do your best to wait as long as you can…the end result will be a smooth and sweet adults-only treat imbued with the essence of pear. This liqueur goes down easy so do keep in mind there’s a fair amount of alcohol in here: it’s potent! Drink in small amounts “as is”, over ice, mixed with seltzer or use it to gussy up winter cocktails. I imagine a spoonful or two would also be wonderful over vanilla ice cream.

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Homemade Pear Liqueur Recipe

Yield: yield: about 6 cups

Ingredients:

*simple syrup made by dissolving 3 cups of sugar in 3 cups of water over medium-high heat (stir until sugar dissolves, then allow to cool to room temperature; feel free to infuse your simple syrup with some big chunks of fresh ginger as it cools (I did) or maybe add a sliced whole vanilla bean and/or a couple of cinnamon sticks)
*6 very ripe, preferably local, Bosc pears, peeled
*zest from 1 organic lemon
*at least 3 cups of vodka (or brandy, rum, or whiskey)

Directions:

1. In a sterilized 1/2 gallon-sized glass jar, combine peeled pears and lemon zest. Strain the simple syrup if you infused it with herbs, etc., then pour over the pears. Add the vodka: if 3 cups is not enough to fill the jar, add as much as is necessary. Cap tightly and shake to combine. Allow to “rest” in a cool, dark place for about 4 weeks, shaking every couple of days.

2. Strain the pears out by pouring through a fine-mesh sieve (or use cheesecloth). Transfer strained liquid into new sterilized glass jar(s) and and allow to rest undisturbed for another 6 months.

3. Strain out any additional sediment through cheesecloth before pouring into sterilized jars one last time.

adapted from the November/December issue of Hobby Farm Home magazine

More pear liqueur recipes:

DIY Pear Liqueur from Serious Eats
Pear Liqueur from Eat Boutique
Pear Infused Brandy from Boulder Locavore

October 17, 2012
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15 Comments

  1. 1

    Brian @ A Thought For Food — October 17, 2012 @ 10:53 pm

    I’m totally making this as gifts this year!

  2. 2

    Laura (Tutti Dolci) — October 18, 2012 @ 2:21 am

    This is gorgeous, Winnie! A perfect gift!

  3. 3

    Kathryn — October 18, 2012 @ 5:13 am

    I recently made a kumquat liqueur and I’m having to be equally patient to open it. Love the idea of a similar drink with pear.

  4. 4

    Maggie at Eat Boutique — October 18, 2012 @ 7:42 am

    YUM! My kind of recipe, Winnie! xox

  5. 5

    Hannah — October 18, 2012 @ 12:42 pm

    Love this one, Winnie! I have some very ripe pears so this sounds ideal. I’m starting my homemade holiday gift list, so this will be a lovely addition!

  6. 6

    Eileen — October 18, 2012 @ 2:13 pm

    Ooh! This sounds so good! I have a cabinetful of schnappses and infusions, but no pear anywhere. Must fix this ASAP. :)

  7. 7

    shauna — October 18, 2012 @ 2:40 pm

    I’ve got a bunch of apples. Will this work with them instead?

    • Winnie replied: — October 19th, 2012 @ 11:08 am

      I think so! I believe I read somewhere you can make a liqueur/cordial with Granny Smith apples. Might be nice with a vanilla ginger simple syrup!

  8. 8

    Paula — October 18, 2012 @ 5:51 pm

    Goodness but this sounds wonderful!

  9. 9

    Denise — October 20, 2012 @ 1:55 am

    Winnie, I was just thinking I needed to make a batch of this for the fall, as I ate the last pear. I love making it and it is a great addition with some bubbles. Here is a wonderful cocktail recipe, incase, you want to have some fun when your liqueur is finished. http://chezus.com/2011/12/23/eau-de-vie-poire-pear-liqueur-cocktail/

    Happy Weekend to you!!

  10. 10

    Donalyn — October 24, 2012 @ 4:44 pm

    That looks luscious! It was nice to “meet” you today at the google+ blogger event – you made some great points :)

    • Winnie replied: — October 24th, 2012 @ 9:03 pm

      Thanks so much Donalyn…I am not at all used to any type of video chatting so it was a new experience for me! Great to meet you, too ;)

  11. 11

    Reading List | Savvy Eats — November 7, 2012 @ 1:55 pm

    [...] 1. This butternut squash 5-spice liqueur could make for some excellent holiday cocktails.  So would this pear liqueur! [...]

  12. 12

    Boozin and Infusin « Adventures in Self Sufficiency — December 2, 2012 @ 1:07 pm

    [...] I found a recipe for pear liqueur that sounded super tasty. It’s from a blog called “Healthy Green Kitchen.” The recipe is described in the link, and again I cut it down by about half. This was an [...]

  13. 13

    Links: Rose Hip Syrup, Deep-Fried Turkey & Crispy Pickles + EcoJarz Winners - Food in Jars | Food in Jars — January 30, 2013 @ 1:58 pm

    [...] I am officially obsessed with pears. I can’t stop thinking about this liqueur. [...]

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