Thursday, November 11, 2010

Herbed Vanilla Vodka Pears

This recipe puts a new intoxicating spin on plain pears canned in a sugar syrup.  Pears are packed in jars with either fresh basil or lemon balm from the garden.  Then, the traditional light sugar syrup is combined with vanilla flavored vodka before pouring over the pears.  The inclusion of fresh herbs will hopefully add an interesting flavor twist while providing a burst of summer flavor this winter.  When it's time to crack open a jar of these pears, the pears will be delicious in a winter fruit compote, over ice cream, or perhaps at the bottom of a pear upside-down cake.  The syrup could be used in cocktails, reduced to drizzle over that same ice cream or as a glaze to be soaked up by that pear upside-down cake.  Nothing goes to waste here.  


Recipe:
- Pears, peeled, cored, and quartered
-Fresh herbs such as lemon balm and basil
-1/2 Sugar
-1 c Vanilla vodka

->  Pack pear quarters and herbs into sterilized jars.  

In a medium saucepan, combine sugar with 4 cups of water  for a very light syrup (add more sugar if desired).  Heat over medium heat until sugar is dissolved.  Remove from heat and add vodka.  

Pour over pears in sterilized jars, leaving 1/2 inch of head space.  Remove any air bubbles.  Attach lids and screw bands to jars.  Process in a pressure cooker for 10 minutes at 6 lbs of pressure.  
~*TIP:  Tap jars on the counter and use a butter knife to release visible air bubbles in the jars before sealing.  *~

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