Mmmm. Wow. Oh my goodness. I can’t pull myself away from these things!
Just one more bite- Wow. These pear preserves are like warm bits of sweet heaven melting in my mouth. Somebody pry this jar away from me- please. Okay, I’m good. No really, I can do this.
I’ve never really considered myself a pear loving kinda girl. But when my mother-in-law let me have full reign of her old pear tree, I didn’t waste the opportunity to gather as many as I could.
I wasn’t sure what I’d do with the pears, other than can them halved. But I knew I wanted to experiment. Boy, I had no idea what I was getting into when I gave this recipe a try. I think I’ll plant a pear orchard, just to have these pear preserves stocked for the rest of my life.
Mouthwatering Pear Preserves
Pears (still green; preferably Kieffers)
Sugar- lots of it
As for quantities, it doesn’t matter how many pears you have for this recipe, just add 2 cups of sugar for every 2 quarts of pears (approx. 14 small/med. pears). Though in my opinion, if you don’t have at least 6 quarts of pears, it’s probably not worth the trouble to can them, you won’t get more than three pints of preserves.
First thing you do, as always, is wash the fruit.
Peel the pears using a potato peeler, then cut them in half and use a melon scooper or knife to remove the stem, the tough middle and the seeds.
Cut off any bad places (bruises, etc). Then slice the pears pretty thinly.
I used a 2 quart canning jar to measure my pear slices. Every time I filled it up, I emptied its contents into a large stainless steel pot and added 2 cups of sugar.
When all of the pears are prepared and the sugar added, put a lid over the pot and let them sit until the next day, about 12 hours. The sugar will melt, and the pears will be floating in the juices.
Heat the pot over a low setting, and allow the pears to cook in the covered pot until they are extremely tender, and almost translucent. Be prepared to let them simmer for a few hours, stirring occasionally.
When the pears are done, remove them from the liquid and set them in a bowl for later. Continue cooking the syrup over medium heat, until it thickens a bit (reduced by about half). Return the pears to the syrup mixture and bring them to a gentle boil.
Using a slotted spoon, fill hot, clean jars with the pears making sure to pack them tight. Next, pour the syrup over the pears leaving 1/2 in. head space. Use the handle of a wooden spoon or something to slide down the insides of the jars to help release any air bubbles that may be trapped.
Wipe the rim of each jar with a wet rag, to remove any food particles or drops of syrup. Screw on a clean, sterilized lid secured with a ring, and process pints and quarts for 25 minutes in a water bath canner.
When all of my jars were filled, and in the canner, I noticed some bits of pears left in the large pot I’d simmered them in. Curious as to what they would taste like, I used a spoon to collect a piece to sample.
Big mistake.
Oh, heaven!
I desperately began scraping the remaining bits of candied pear from the pot, and melted in pure ecstasy with every bite.
I tried my best to allow them to cool once they were out of the canner, but it wasn’t long before I’d popped a lid off and was delving in. Mmmmm-..
You guys, this is the one. If you get your hands on any pears, forget any other canning recipes you may have in mind. Nothing can compare.
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to get back to enjoying the rest of that jar of pear preserves.
