All varieties of pears can and preserve well, so use your favorite variety. After cutting and peeling the pears, treat your fruit with an antioxidant to prevent discoloring. Use a product such as Ever-Fresh or Fruit-Fresh and follow the instructions on the container. After dipping the pears in the antioxidant solution, rinse and drain the pears before packing them into your prepared jars.
Canned Pears
Try canned pears in place of apples in any recipe calling for cooked fruit.
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Processing time: Pints, 20 minutes; quarts, 25 minutes
Yield: 8 pints or 4 quarts
12 pounds pears
Sugar syrup, light
Prepare your canning jars and two-piece caps (lids and screw bands) according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
Keep the jars and lids hot.
Wash, peel, and core the pears. Slice the pears into 1/4-inch pieces or cut them into even-sized chunks. Bring your sugar syrup to a boil.
Pack the pears firmly into the hot jars and pour the boiling hot sugar syrup over them, leaving 1/2-inch headspace.
Release any air bubbles with a nonreactive utensil, adding more sugar syrup as necessary to maintain the proper headspace. Wipe the jar rims; seal the jars with the two-piece caps, hand-tightening the bands.
Process the filled jars in a water-bath canner for 20 minutes (pints) or 25 minutes (quarts) from the point of boiling.
Remove the jars from the canner with a jar lifter. Place them on a clean kitchen towel away from drafts.
After the jars cool completely, test the seals. If you find jars that haven’t sealed, refrigerate them and use them within two weeks.
Per 1/2-cup serving: Calories 79 (From fat 0); Fat 0g (Saturated 0g); Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 2mg; Carbohydrates 21g (Dietary fiber 1g); Protein 0g.