Choosing the correct ripeness of fruit for poaching makes all the difference to the result. Take pears, for example. You want to choose one that is not too hard but not too ripe either. Whereas for stone fruit, like peaches, you want to choose a specimen at its perfect peak of ripeness.When choosing pears for poaching, pick fruit that is “in between” hard and ripe. Ripe fruit will become soft and squishy when poached, whereas hard fruit will stay hard and discolour.You want to choose the one that is just right. I always buy slightly under-ripe green pears and let them ripen for several days before poaching.
As a general rule, if you want to double the quantity of fruit for poaching, double the quantity of poaching syrup too.
Level of difficulty medium
Season Autumn/Winter
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