Pears poached with hibiscus flowers and lemon

Recipe and photograph – Dr Joan Ransley

Desserts that are fruit based are great for promoting gut health as they contain dietary fibre and lots of other bioactive components which promote overall health. Pears contain dietary fibre and polyols which can help keep the contents of the gut moving.

Method
Put the hibiscus flowers in a saucepan with 600ml of water, lemon zest and sugar and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for ten minutes by which time the sugar should have dissolved and the liquid taken on a deep red colour. Strain the liquid through a sieve and add lemon juice.

Pour the hibiscus flavoured liquid into a large saucepan in which the pears can lie in a single layer. Bring the liquid to simmering point and cover with a lid. Cook the pears until they are tender. This could take between ten and twenty minutes depending on the ripeness of the pears. Check how well the pears are cooked by piercing the flesh with a sharp knife. Turn the pears while they are cooking to get an even colour.

When the pears are cooked remove them from the pan with a slotted spoon and lay them on a serving dish. Boil the cooking liquid until you have about 200ml left. Check for sweetness and flavour adding a little more lemon juice or sugar if required. Leave to cool before serving the pears with the syrup.

Cooks tip
If you have time leave the pears in the cooking syrup overnight. The longer the pears are in contact with it the more deeply coloured and flavoured they will become.

Variation
Hibiscus syrup can be used as a colourful syrup for making a fruit salad with fruit that are low in FODMAPs for example: blueberries, strawberries, grapes and melon.

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