Canned Pear Halves
Wednesday, February 29, 2012 at 4:24PM
Brook Hurst Stephens

    Just like Grandma used to make. This is a medium-weight syrup: sweet but not too heavy. I always keep a jar of Canned Bartlett Pear Halves in the fridge, for dressing up a salad or going old school and serving it atop cottage cheese.

   When the pears have all been eaten, I like to drink the remaining ice-cold syrup, which is  infused with the delicate slighlty-floral essence of beautiful Barlett pears. Aaaaahhh.

Makes ~6 pints  

Variation: Try tucking a 1" piece of cinnamon stick into each pint jar of pear halves before putting the lids on, or use 100% pineapple juice, white grape juice, or apple juice instead of sugar & water as your syrup solution!

1.) Prepare canning jars and keep hot until ready to use; prepare lids according to the manufacturer's instructions.

2.) Bring the water in the kettle to a boil while preparing the rest of the recipe.

3.) Make a large bowl of acidified water by cutting the lemon in half and squeezing the juice into two quarts of water. As you prepare each pear half, you'll place it in this water to keep it from browning.

 

4.) Prepare pears:

  1. Peel one pear, using a vegetable peeler. 
  2. Cut pear in half.
  3. Scoop the core out of each half using a melon baller.
  4. Trim the stem ends and discard them.
  5. Place pear half into bowl of lemon water. 
  6. Repeat with remaining pears, and set aside.

 

5.) Prepare the syrup:

  1. Combine remaining quart of water and sugar in a large (5 or 6 quart) pot.
  2. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve sugar.

6.) Using a slotted spoon, transfer the pears from the lemon water to the boiling syrup. Bring to a boil again and cook pears in syrup for 2 minutes.

7.) Using a canning funnel, pack pears into wide-mouth pint-size jars. 

8.) When all jars are full, pour the remaining syrup over the pears to cover them, leaving 1/2" headspace in jars.

9.) Wipe the rims of the jars clean with a slightly-damp paper towel.

10.) Set lids on jars, and screw rings on finger-tight.

11.) Place jars on rack in canning kettle or large stockpot, making sure jar tops are covered with at least 1" of hot water. Cover with a tight-fitting lid, bring to a boil and process in a Boiling Water Bath for 20 minutes. Turn off heat, remove lid and let jars rest for 5 minutes in the kettle.

12.) Remove jars from kettle using jar-lifter tongs, and gently set aside to cool on a kitchen towel in a draft-free place. 

13.) Let rest for 24 hours, then check for proper seal before storing.

14.) If jars lids seal, store them in a cool, dark place for up to one year.

Helpful tip: Check lids for a proper seal by pressing the middle of the lid with a finger or thumb. If the lid stays down, it is sealed and will easily keep for up to one year in a cool dark place. If the lid springs up when you release your finger, the lid is unsealed. Place unsealed jars in your refrigerator and eat within 3 months, or within one month after opening.

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