Another one of my favorite uses for our pears is juicing.  It’s a fairly easy way to use a lot of pears and it makes a gorgeous golden juice.

First I remove the stems and any yucky spots on the pears and then cut them in half.

Then they go into the juicer about 8 at a time.

What comes out always amazes me.  Look at all that foam!

Initially I tried drinking it at this stage thinking it would be like cider.  It was really not good though.  These pears are so fibrous that it tasted like you had sand in your mouth.  Really, not good.

So I had the idea to strain out the juice.  I tried several methods but found that a coffee filter worked best.  Simply line a strainer with a paper coffee filter and pour the juice through it.

You’ll end up with a thick sludge on top and beautiful golden juice underneath.

You can either drink the juice right away or save it for later.  If you want to save it, you can freeze or can it.  To can, heat it to a good simmer but don’t boil.  Pack sterilized pint jars with hot juice.  Wipe rims, apply lids and bands and process in a waterbath canner for 30 minutes.

One of my favorite ways to enjoy the pear juice is as a fall cocktail.  Pour a mug of pear juice.  Add a shot of whiskey, a tablespoon of honey, a cinnamon stick and a star anise.  Heat in the microwave for one minute.  Stir and enjoy!