Ginger Poached Pear, an Excellent Cold Remedy

If you’re frozen from the polar vortex this year, or if you have the sniffles, sore throat, or a cough, this will warm you up and quite miraculously perk you up from the common cold too. Despite being a little under the weather at the moment, I feel remarkably awake, even though I’ve had zero caffeine ALL WEEK. Could it be that ginger helps circulation? Mebbe, mebbe. All I know is that if you’re feeling at all blah, this drink will zap you back to life.

Simply slice up a large thumb of fresh ginger and chop one pear. Fill a small pot with an inch of water, throw in the ginger, lay the pear skin side up over the ginger, and simmer for half an hour. Spoon the pears into a mug and pour in the hot juice. Discard the ginger or save it to add to your tea, then eat and drink down the whole thing.

Don’t be shy about the ginger. If in doubt, call in your Chinese neighbor to make sure you put enough ginger in. Let the spicy do its work.

A note on pears. I like hard, unripe Bartlett best for this recipe because I can stew them for a long time and they won’t “melt.” I’ve found that Bosc pears lose too much of their flavor, whereas Bartlett improves in flavor as the ginger is infused. Asian pears will work too, obvs. Just simmer them for 15 minutes instead of 30.

This is an old family recipe that works best at the onset of a cold. The ginger will nix all your cold symptoms in the bud and the pears will soothe your throat.

Recommended dose: One large mug morning and night. Can be made with a teabag of Traditional Medicinals Cold Care P.M. or Gypsy Cold Care.