Pear Butter
Description
This recipe is relatively easy and worth the trouble. I like preserving my harvest in a variety of ways, especially when I have a huge crop!
This recipe is very similar to a recipe from growforagecookferment.
Ingredients
Instructions
Cook your pears
Put your chopped pears in a big pot with the ginger and water. Heat on medium low heat, and check as it heats. You may need to stir often at the beginning, to prevent burning, especially if you're using less water. Cover the pot and cook about 30 minutes, until the pears are soft.
Blend your pears
Turn off the heat and use an immersion blender to puree the cooked pears. You can use a regular blender, but you'll have to blend one batch at a time, using a bowl to hold the unblended part as you go. Puree them finely.
Make the butter!
Put the pureed pears into the pot, along with all the other ingredients. I like to use a very wide pot that isn't too tall. This speeds up the process of evaporation.
Cook this mixture 30-60 minutes on low heat. You want the puree to get quite thick, and as it thickens, you'll need to stir it more and more. I usually have to cook it closer to 60 minutes, but that will depend on the water content of your pears. While the pear butter/puree is cooking down, prepare your jars and heat the canner water.
Prepare the jars while your pear butter is cooking
I like to use 1-cup jars for jams and fruit butters. 1 cup is a nice size for a gift.
Sterilize your jars by filling them completely with boiling water, pouring boiling water over the rims and sides too. Empty out the water and put the jars upside down on a clean cloth on your counter. Put the lids and rings in a saucepan full of water and heat it over the stove. Fill your canner halfway with water and bring to a boil.
Can the Pear Butter
Spoon the pear butter into the clean jars, leaving about 1/2 inch headspace. Poke a knife into the jars, along the sides, to release any gas bubbles. Wipe the jar rims and put on the lids and rings. Tighten the rings moderately. Put the jars into the canner, making sure they're covered by 2 inches of water. Process for 15 minutes. (Adjust canning time for high altitude, I would add 10 minutes if you're about 1500 feet, for example). Turn off the heat and let the jars stand in the hot water for 5 minutes. Remove the jars from the canner, using canning tongs, and set them on the cloth-covered counter. After they cool, check the seals. They should be concave. If the jars have sealed, you can remove the rings, label the jars, and store them. If some didn't seal, refrigerate them and eat them up!
