Go Back
Sweeten Pear Sauce to Taste
Print Recipe
5 from 5 votes

Pear Sauce

This easy pear sauce is made with pears, cardamom, lemon and honey, and is ready in about 30 minutes. Freeze it for later!
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Diet: Gluten Free, Vegetarian
Servings: 12 people (½ cup servings)
Calories: 123kcal
Author: Sarah Trenalone

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 4 pounds pears (8-10 pears) I used Bartlett pears
  • 2 lemons, rinsed + halved
  • ½ teaspoon ground cardamom (or 3 cardamom pods) Or swap cinnamon
  • ¼ cup water
  • ¼ cup honey (more or less, to taste), optional

Instructions

  • Core pears and roughly chop. If desired, peel the pears.
    Peeling is optional (if you have a blender). If you do not have a blender, make sure to peel the pears before proceeding.
    Add the chopped pears to a large pot. Squeeze the lemon halves over the pears, and then set the lemon halves in with the pears. Add cardamom and ¼ cup water.
    Add Pears, Lemons + Cardamom to Pot
  • Cover pot and bring the liquid to a simmer over medium heat.
    Simmer for about 20 minutes, or until the pears easily fall apart when you press against them with the back of a wooden spoon.
    Cook Until Pears Fall Apart
  • Remove the lemon halves.
    Blender Method: Use an immersion blender to purée the pear sauce. Alternatively, ladle the pears and liquid into a blender basin and blend.
    No Blender Method (Peeled pears only): Use a potato masher or ricer to mash the pears. This method may require a longer cook time because the pears need to be more tender.
    Remove Lemons + Blend
  • Taste the pear sauce and sweeten with honey (or sugar) if desired. Keep in mind that once the pear sauce is cold, it will taste less sweet than when warm.
    Transfer the pear sauce into glass jars.
    Storage: Refrigerate and use within 10 days or freeze and use within nine months.
    Pear Sauce in Glass Jars

Notes

Yields about 6 cups pear sauce.
Sweetener: The honey (or sugar) in this recipe is totally optional.  However, if your pears are not fully ripe or were wild, they likely will be mildly bitter without sweetener.
Storage: This recipe has not been tested for canning.  Store in the fridge or freezer.
No Blender Method: Pear sauce made without a blender can sometimes have a gritty texture.  I recommend using a blender if possible.

Nutrition

Calories: 123kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 2mg | Potassium: 181mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 21g | Vitamin A: 42IU | Vitamin C: 16mg | Calcium: 18mg | Iron: 1mg