Ingredients:
- 4-6 D’Ajou, Anjou, or Bartlett Pears
- 1/8 tsp vanilla
- 1/8 tsp ground ginger
Preparation:
- Wash the pears. Peel skin and remove the core. Cut the fruit into 1-inch chunks or slices.
- Microwave Method: Place the pears in a microwave-safe dish. Sprinkle the pears with vanilla and ground ginger. Cover with a lid. Cook on HIGH for 5 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes. The fruit is done if a fork slides easily into it or it can be mashed easily. Place the fruit and 2-4 Tbsp. of the cooking juice into a blender or food processor. Stove Method: Pour 1 cup of water in a large saucepan. Set a steamer basket in the saucepan. Place the pear pieces in the steamer basket. Sprinkle the pears with vanilla and ground ginger. Cover the saucepan and place on a stove burner. Set the burner temperature to HIGH and bring the water to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes. The fruit is done if a fork slides easily into it or it can be mashed easily. Place the fruit and 2 to 4 Tbsp. of cooking juice into a blender or food processor.
- Puree the pears in the blender or food processor to a smooth texture. At least once during the puree process, stop the appliance and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula.
- Pour or spoon the pureed pears into ice cube trays and cover them. Put them in the freezer for 8 to 10 hours or overnight.
- Write “PEARS” and the date on a freezer storage bag. Remove the baby food trays from the freezer and quickly run hot water over the back of the tray. Twist the tray to pop the pear cubes out and into the freezer storage bag. Place the storage bag in the freezer.
Serves: About 24 one-ounce servings