18th Century Recipe: Stewed Pears

These pears were delicious at made at the Clarissa F. Dillon Fall Cooking workshop at the Colonial Pennsylvania Plantation. I had a lot of people ask me for the recipe. Pears are in season from late summer through the winter depending on variety. Lucky for modern historical cooks Bartlett pears (or William Pears in the UK,) one of the most common pear varieties today are a variety which dates back to 1765. (1) (2) 

Ingredients:

- 6 Pears
- 1/2 Cup Red Wine  (or water)
- 1 cup Sugar
- Lemon Peel
- Cloves
- Cochineal (optional for color)

Directions:

Core and peel 5 of the pears and cut into quarters. Peel the 6th pear but leave it whole. Add all ingredients to a medium sized sauce pan and cover. Cook on medium heat, stirring occasionally until pears are soft (about 20 minutes.) Serve hot or cold.   

(1) http://www.heirloomorchardist.com/the_heirloom_orchardist/2009/10/the-bartlett-pear-a-brief-history-of-a-classic-fruit.html 
(2) http://www.marcherapple.net/c18var.htm

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