How to Make Pear Preserves - An Easy Recipe! | All She Cooks (2024)

FAQs

How do you preserve pears quickly? ›

Boil drained pears 5 minutes in syrup, juice or water. Fill jars with hot fruit. Pack hot pears in jars, leaving 1/2 inch headspace, then cover with boiling syrup. Remove air bubbles and adjust lids.

Bartlett, Bosc and Seckel are good varieties to preserve, however Anjou, Comice, Nelis and Forelle may also be preserved, depending on the end product. It is important to harvest pears at the correct time. Pick them when they are mature in size but not yet fully ripe.

Preserves can be stored in the refrigerator for up to three months. Jars do not have to be fully sealed for refrigeration. The shelf-stable method of preserving pears and similar foods makes storage easy. If properly sealed, pear preserves can be stored in a cool, dark place for up to one year.

Pack the fruit in freezer-safe bags or containers, using about ½ cup cooled syrup for each pint of fruit. Pack flat in bags to coat the fruit in syrup. If using containers, leave room for headspace, and use a piece of crumbled parchment or wax paper to keep the pears submerged.

Fill the jars and cover the pears with the syrup retaining the ½-inch of headspace at the top of the jars. Wipe the rims clean and fit with lids and rings. Place in a boiling water bath canner, ensuring the jars are covered with water. Bring to a boil and process for 30 minutes.

Prevent discoloration of the peeled pears by holding them in a solution made by crushing six 500mg vitamin C tablets (or 1 teaspoon ascorbic acid) in one gallon water or use a commercial ascorbic acid mixture. Drain pears well before canning or freezing.

If there isn't enough pectin in the fruit itself and you don't add extra pectin, the result is runny jelly or jam. Additionally, if the fruit is overripe, its pectin levels are lower. Added pectin comes in a couple of forms.

There are many varieties that would be suitable for pear preserves including Anjou, Kieffer and Bartlett. The most important thing to know is the pears must be hard. Fully ripe pears will fall apart and turn to mush when cooked.

Although pears are most often canned in simple syrup, it is quite safe to can them in juice or even plain water. The canning liquid is a flavoring element, not a safety consideration. There are two basic ways to safely can pears: the hot pack method and the raw pack method.

Remove pears from the heat and if the syrup has not thickened as desired, add a 2 - 3 tablespoons of powder pectin, stir and return to heat to thicken a bit.

Can you freeze pears to make jam later? ›

Freeze Pears In Syrup To Preserve Their Color And Texture

That's why it's commonly used for canning fruits, or as an ingredient in jams and jellies. Freezing pears in sugar syrup can help preserve their color and texture better than freezing them alone, allowing for a wider range of uses.

Yes, dogs can eat pears. Pears are a great snack because they're high in copper, vitamins C and K, and fiber. If you're sharing pears with your dog, just be sure to cut the pear flesh into bite-size chunks and remove the pit and seeds first, as the seeds contain traces of cyanide.

Where to Store Ripe Pears. Once ripe, pears should be kept in the fridge (Unripe pears should be stored at room temperature.) Refrigerating them will extend the meltingly sweet life of a pear by a couple of days.

If you don't have a lot of time to wait for your pears to ripen, use the tried and true banana trick. Place your pears in a paper bag or an enclosed area with a ripe banana or apple. Ripe apples and bananas give off a gas called ethylene that triggers the ripening process in unripe pears. You gotta love science!

Dip slices quickly in an equal mixture of lemon juice and water. Seal pear slices in a Glad^® Zipper Bag. Squeeze out as much air as possible when closing the bag. Store in the refrigerator.