Canning Pears

 My husband’s golf buddy offered him pears from their prolific tree to can…John looked at them, they were very small, but after tasting one he brought home several sacks of delicious little pears.  I canned them following the directions in the Better Homes and Gardens Home Canning Cook Book, and they are great. 

I used a melon baller to core the pears; they also must be peeled like a potato.  But we thought the work was worth the wonderful sweet flavor that you simply don’t get with commercially canned pears.

I didn’t do anything special to pack these small pears, but if you have nice, large ones - to make a fancy pack, place outside pears fat side down with a cherry in the core, then fat side up with cherry on outside of jars, fill center with plain halves, fill with hot syrup and process 5 minutes longer than plain pears (because they haven’t been warmed). 

If you are new to water-bath canning, check these hints:  Water bath equipment and Safe canning methods from the experts at Clemson..

                    Home Canned Pears in Light Syrup

  12  to 14 Pounds Pears (about 13 Cups Per Canner Load ) -- it requires more pounds of fruit for smaller sizes

  1                cup  Sugar

  2 1/3           cups  Water

  2        Tablespoons  Fruit Fresh -- see package directions

Prepare boiling water bath canner, jars and lids.

Peel, halve and core fruit, place in fruit fresh mixture until ready.  Use a stainless steel measuring spoon, 1/2 or 1 teaspoon size, to core fruit (or I used a melon baller successfully).  Fruit fresh requires 2 tbsp per 6 cups of water.

Measure at least 13 cups of fruit; fruit shrinks a lot.    Mix sugar and water for syrup in large open kettle, heat to boiling.

Drain pears.  In kettle of syrup, over medium-low heat, warm pears in syrup until heated through, about 5 minutes.

Using a slotted spoon, pack hot pears, cavity side down and overlapping layers into hot jars to within a generous 1/2 inch of top of jar.  Remove air bubbles; adjust ½” head space if necessary, by adding hot syrup.  Wipe rims of jar, seal with prepared lids and rings, place jars in water bath canner. 

Bring to a boil and process pint jars for 20 minutes, keeping water level 1" -2" over jars for entire process.   If cold fancy-packed, process 25 minutes.

Remove jars, set on towels to cool and seal.  Remove rings, wash jars and store.  Pears can also be pressure canned at 5# pressure for 10 minutes.

Any leftover syrup can also be canned and used in jello salads or as you would use pineapple or apple juice.

  "7 Pint Jars"