Just a reminder note about the Tazo Tea Cook-Off: I am creating recipes using Tazo tea and a secret ingredient that arrives at my house each week. For participating, I received a bundle of tea and tea products and a $200 gift card to buy groceries for the challenge. If I win the challenge I get a $1,000 gift card to a kitchen supply store of my choice!

Just another note about the second Foodbuzz ad you see in the left sidebar in addition to the one I always had in the right sidebar: it basically means I get paid more, and I cannot work with or accept products or sponsorship from companies outside of Foodbuzz.

I’m sharing this because not everyone who reads has a blog with Foodbuzz advertisements, and they might be wondering what’s up with the second ads popping up and the corresponding lack of product reviews/sponsorships. I started the Tazo Cook-Off before the new contract, so it’s okay.

Where was I?

Last Friday, I was in the car on the way to the OpenSky Cocktail Party (where it’s confirmed that I wore a nightgown or at least a chemise) when Mark called me in a food panic.

“You got two boxes of pears in the mail. Can I eat them?”

“No. Well, okay, but just one. I need the rest.”

Turns out I didn’t need all of them, but they were this week’s secret ingredient for the Tazo Cook-Off.

Do you know I’ve never eaten a pear? I’ve had pears in things, but I don’t eat them like apples. It’s odd, considering my last name and all…

Anyway, I tried and tried to think of something savory to make with these, but my mind kept going back to the Ginger Pear Preserves and Spiced Blueberry Preserves my friend Bethany made for me last year. I knew I needed to create a cheater’s version.

Spiced Pear Preserves

Ingredients

• 3 lbs. of pears
• zest from 1/2 of an orange
• 1/3 C Agave Nectar
• 1/3 C Water
• 1 Tazo Organic Chai Tea Bag

Directions

• Make a cup of Chai Tea using 1/3 C of water. Add the tea with the bag to a pan.
• Cut peeled and cored pears and add them to the tea water.
• Bring to a boil, then lower to simmer. Cook until the pears are soft and can be fork-mashed.
• Transfer the pears (leaving the liquid) to a food processor. Remember, hot water + food processor is a disaster.
• Mix until it’s the texture of a lumpy/chunky applesauce.
• Transfer the mix back to the pan (tea bag still in place) and add the agave and orange zest.
• Leave the mix on low heat until it thickens up. I left mine on the stove for nearly two hours.
• Let sit and cool until it thickens completely.

You can probably keep this in the fridge for a week, so adjust the recipe to make less unless you are giving it away. You could also look into canning so you could keep it for longer.

I had mine on top of a toasted English muffin for dessert, and it was fabulous. It’s actually relatively easy to make if you have patience, and it tastes fantastic.