Spiced Pear Butter
What do you do with all of those pears that are just starting to get soft, but are still deliciously sweet and tasty? Turn them into Pear Butter that you can enjoy in the middle of winter! Served over pancakes, waffles, or with a peanut butter sandwich, this treat will become a favorite at your house as it has in ours!
Pear Butter
One of our longtime customers shared this recipe with us years ago. It's a rare year that we don't grab a couple bushels of pears and bottle this zesty pear butter so we can enjoy it year round!
- 7 lbs pears (cored, coarsely chopped)
- 1/2 cup water
- grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
- 3-4 cups sugar or honey
- grated zest and juice of 1 orange
- 1 tsp nutmeg
- 1-2 tsp grated fresh ginger
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
Put a small stoneware plate in the freezer.
In a large stainless-steel saucepan, combine pears, water, and lemon zest and juice. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until pears are soft. Use stick blender to puree it (but don't liquefy it) in the pan (or use a food processor to do the same).
Add in sugar,/honey, orange zest and juice, nutmeg, and ginger. Stir until sugar dissolves. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat and boil gently for several minutes, stirring frequently. (This will take a long time to get to the right thickness.)
When the mixture starts to boil down and thicken, pull the cold plate out f the freezer nad use a spoon to place a small amount on the pate. If it starts seeping water, it needs more time. However, if the spoonful holds its mounded shape it is ready to bottle.
Turn off heat and stir in the vanilla extract. Taste test.
Pear butter should keep fresh for a few weeks in the fridge.
To bottle: ladle hot butter into hot jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Remove air bubbles, wipe rims, and center lids on jars. Screw jars shut tightly. Process 20 minutes.
