
Day 170.
Have you ever heard of Caribou-Poached Pears? I really planned on making plumcot curd today. But alas, somehow a few pears from our CSA box slipped the kids’ attention and were near turning bad. So, I flipped through some recipes and swapped in Caribou-Poached Pears from Cooking Light Magazine. I’ve adapted it to be alcohol-free for the kids. Yes, I know most of it cooks out, but they’re too tiny to risk it. This version is a delicious mix of cranberry juice and fall spices.
So today we’ll be having Virgin Caribou-Poached Pears. 🙂 I’m giving the per pear recipe. The original calls for four, but I only had two left, so I decided to do the recipe for one here. Bonus: my husband loves pears. And, it’s Father’s Day. How perfect is that? Happy Father’s Day to everyone.
And welcome to the world to my little niece, born Thursday, who joins her big sister, who was born two years ago on Father’s Day.
Caribou-Poached Pears
Adapted from Cooking Light Magazine Jan/Feb 2010.
Ingredients
1/2 cup cranberry juice
1 star anise
1 cinnamon stick
1 whole clove
1 whole nutmeg
1/8 cup sugar
Anjou pear, cored
Directions
Combine all ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil.
Turn down to low and simmer for 40 minutes to an hour.
Remove from heat and let stand for 30 minutes.
Strain and serve pear with sauce.
The Results
The kids, one of whom is just under a year old, actually yelled at each other over finishing this off. Sure, it was a lot of “Bah bah bah” but you could tell the Goose was mad. Horrifying and awesome all at the same time. Next time we get pears, we’re making them all into this delicious treat. It’s fresh and spicy and great for all ages. I am absolutely in love with it. I hesitated a bit about the anise. I wasn’t sure why you would want licorice flavor in your pears. But, I tried it, and it’s awesome.
What are you having for Sunday Brunch, Breakfast or Lunch?
This post is shared at·Sundays at One Food Club, Just Something I Whipped Up, Penny Worthy Project, Cookbook Sundays, Savory Sunday·and·Potluck Sunday.
Looking for more holiday desserts? Check out this yummy cranberry sauce.

Caribou-Poached Pears Recipe
Caribou poached pears: a delicious mixture of cranberry juice and fall spices. It's a dessert worthy of holiday dinners, but simple enough for every day.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup cranberry juice
- 1 star anise
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 whole clove1
- 1 whole nutmeg
- 1/8 cup sugar
- Anjou pear, cored
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil.
- Turn down to low and simmer for 40 minutes to an hour.
- Remove from heat and let stand for 30 minutes.
- Strain and serve pear with sauce.