The crisp texture and tart sweetness inherent in pears produce a wonderfully delicious pickle. These pickled pears serve as a fantastic accompaniment to a variety of dishes, enhancing both sweet and savoury applications. Whether paired with a rich pork dish to counterbalance its fattiness or used as a delightful garnish for cheese.
In this recipe, the pears are cooked in quarters. If time is not on your side, you can slice the pears on a mandoline and leave them to brine in the liquid for at least 8 hours. Alternatively, you can use a vacuum chamber to instantly pickle them.
Prepare the Pickling Liquid:
Combine white wine vinegar, water, sugar, salt, yellow mustard seeds, lemon thyme, bay leaves, star anise, cinnamon sticks, and lemon peel in a saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil while whisking to dissolve sugar and salt. Remove from heat and let it steep at room temperature until cooled. Strain the pickling liquid through a fine sieve or chinois to remove solid particles.
Prepare the Pears:
Peel the pears, then quarter and slice them to remove the core and seeds. Place the pear slices in a vacuum bag.
Vacuum Sealing:
Pour the cooled pickling liquid over the pear slices in the vacuum bag, ensuring they are fully submerged. Vacuum seal the bag completely.
Cooking:
Cook the sealed bag in a water bath at 84°C for 18-22 minutes. Keep an eye on the pears during the cooking process; their varying textures may require different cooking times. Some pears might need less time, while others could benefit from a slightly longer duration. The goal is to achieve a tender texture without turning them into mush, ensuring they maintain their shape.
Cooling:
After cooking, immediately transfer the bag to an ice bath to cool the pears rapidly. Leave the pears in the ice bath until completely cooled.
Storage:
Once cooled, store the pickled pears in the pickling liquid. They can be refrigerated for future use.
