According to Chinese medicine, pears are considered a nourishing and healing food in Autumn. Pears are the fruit to eat when you’re suffering from a cough with phlegm. They are not a substitute for treatment, but their cooling nature will soothe and help clear any excess mucus. If you want to increase the potency of this action, grate ½ tsp gingerroot and squeeze the juice into the pear cooking liquid and drink it as a warm tea. The pears and their juice may be enjoyed together, or you can eat the pears as a dessert and warm the juice to sip as a soothing tea.
Makes 4 to 6 servings.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup unsweetened white grape juice
- 1 tsp grated lemon zest
- 2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 tbsp liquid honey, or to taste
- 1 tsp anise seeds
- 4 large firm-ripe pears, such as Bartlett (Williams) or Bosc, peeled, cored and quartered
Instructions:
- In a medium saucepan (it’s best to use a saucepan that is wider than it is tall), combine grape juice, lemon zest, lemon juice, honey and anise seeds, adding up to 1 tbsp more honey, if desired. Add pears and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium, cover and boil gently for 10 minutes.
- Uncover; if any pears are above the liquid, push them under the other pears. Simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes or until pears are completely translucent.
- Spoon into serving bowls. Serve warm or let cool to room temperature. Refrigerate for up to 1 week.
Recipe from Nutritional Healing with Chinese Medicine by Ellen Goldsmith, MSOM, LAc, DipCH with Maya Klein, PhD
