This Instant Pot Pear Cider is perfectly spiced with fragrant cinnamon and cardamom for a comforting taste of fall. With no added sugar, it’s delicious chilled or served warm on a cool night.
Just like apple cider, pear cider is a combination of pears and spices heated, steeped and strained. It’s a delicious way to use up overripe pears and extra spices from the holidays.
Ingredients
- Pears
- Whole cinnamon sticks, cardamom pods, nutmeg
- Orange
- Filtered water
- Maple syrup
You can play around with the spices you like. Any blend of whole cloves, star anise, nutmeg, cinnamon sticks, cardamom, or allspice would work. Just keep in mind that cloves, allspice, and nutmeg tend to be quite bold and can overpower the other flavors.
How to make pear cider?
This recipe couldn’t be easier. To make the homemade cider simply add sliced and seeded pears, whole spices, a cut orange, and filtered water to the inner liner of a pressure cooker. Cook on high and allow a natural release.
Strain the liquid from the solids using a cheesecloth or larger strainer. Depending on how clear you want the cider to be, you may need to run it through the strainer twice.
Using the Instant Pot means your cider will be ready in minutes and it’s mostly hands-off!
Tips for the best homemade cider:
Use ripe to overripe pears. This recipe works great with pears that are almost too ripe to eat. So don’t toss that slightly bruised fruit.
Keep the peels on. The fiber in the pear skins will help give the cider more color and body. No need to peel the pears. WINNING!
Spice it up! You can use any spices you like to make pear cider. Cinnamon sticks are a must in my opinion but try out different combinations. If you have access to vanilla beans or a spent vanilla bean pod, it would add a lovely flavor.
Taste the pears. If your pears aren’t sweet, then your cider will not be sweet. For this, I recommend going with fragrant and juicy Anjou or Bosc pears. Comice pears would also be delicious but they are so luscious. I recommend enjoying those raw.
Pears are at peak in the fall season. But you will find pears in the supermarkets throughout the year. If you find that your finished cider is not sweet enough, feel free to add a little pear nectar or a bit of maple syrup to sweeten it up.
How should I store my cider?
Strain and let the cider cool completely, then pour it into a carafe or other container with a lid. Refrigerate. I keep my cider in a few mason jars in the refrigerator.
Does this pear cider contain alcohol?
No. This is a non-alcoholic drink. Some people make hard pear cider by fermenting the drink with yeast. This one is just pears, orange, and spices. Not saying you can’t add a shot of bourbon to yours – because you could.
If you’re looking for a pear-flavored cocktail, try my Sparkling Pear Prosecco Punch! It’s a refreshing drink that’s great for brunch. Think of it as a pear mimosa.
Can I use a slow cooker?
Yes. This recipe would be perfect in a slow cooker. You’ll use the exact same recipe just cook it on low for 6-8 hours. As with most other slow cooker recipes, be sure to keep the lid on for the first two hours.
Can I make this recipe on the stove?
Absolutely. You can easily make cider on the stovetop. It will take longer to develop for the fruit to breakdown and provide the same flavor. But once you add all of the fruit to the pot, you can let it simmer as long as you want.
Let it go for a while and enjoy the warm fragrance of pears and spices wafting through the house. It will smell just like fall and the holidays!
Try these other healthy pear recipes
Pear Crostini with Honey Hazelnut Goat Cheese
Instant Pot Pear Cider
Equipment
Ingredients
- 5 ripe pears (Bosc, Anjou, or Concorde)
- 1 orange
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 4 cardamom pods
- 6 cups filtered water
- brown sugar or maple syrup (optional)
Instructions
- Seed and quarter the pears and oranges. Keep the peels on.
- Add to the inner liner of the multi-cooker with the whole spices. Cover with water.
- Close and lock the lid. Set to sealing. Set to manual, high-pressure for 10 minutes. Release pressure naturally.
- Once cool enough to handle, use a cheesecloth or sieve to strain the liquid from the solids. Press with the back of a spoon for every drop of pear cider goodness you can squeeze out.
- Serve warm in mugs with a cinnamon stick. Refrigerate leftovers in a sealed container.
Notes
Frequently Asked Questions:
- It’s normal for the cider to have a cloudy appearance. Use a large sieve with cheesecloth to get the most filtered cider or clear results.
- You can allow the cider to steep on the warm setting for a few hours to build more flavor. I would, however, remove the orange peels so they don’t add any bitter notes to the cider. You can also strain and return the cider to the Instant Pot to keep warm for parties or sipping throughout the day.
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