Jam Session

Pears

I am of the opinion that pears are better eaten fresh than turned into jam. I guess others share this view, and that is probably why you don’t see lots of pear preserves on the shelves. The exception might be pear butter, which is not quite as popular as apple butter. I prefer to preserve pear halves or slices in syrup, or pickle them. Unlike apples, pears are low in pectin and need to be acidified for safe preserving. Pears are good for chutney, which is vinegar-based. When I put them up, I use lots of fresh lemon juice or add bottled lemon juice or citric acid crystals.

There are two kinds of pears: European and Asian. In most instances, you want to use European pears for preserving. They are sweet, fine-grained in texture, and can be creamy on the tongue when ripe. They have a good balance of sweetness and mild acidity. Look for pears that are firm-ripe but not soft. Pears will ripen at room temperature at home. Very firm green ones may take longer than a week. Pears bruise easily, so handle them with care, or you will be cutting out brown spots.

The best pears for preserving are Comice, Anjou, and Bartlett (which are the same as the European Williams pear). One of my local farm stands has Morettini pears, which resemble Comice in texture and flavor but are smaller in size and thus ideal for preserving in syrup.

A word about Asian pears, (which are sometimes called apple pears): They are crisp and sweet but do not have much acidity. Unlike regular pears, they ripen on the tree. The ripe fruit is yellow-brown or yellow-green. They can be stored for about one week at room temperature and up to two months in the refrigerator. In other words, they are hardy! But they do not have the voluptuous texture of a ripe European pear nor the European pear’s balanced contrast of sweetness and acidity. Because of their excellent crunch, you may want to use them in chutneys, but not in jams or butters as they are not creamy enough.

Complementary flavor pairings for pears are vanilla, citrus, cinnamon, anise, ginger, and cloves.

This one is delicately perfumed with lemon and vanilla and not too sweet. It is ideal for topping toast and pancakes.

In a large preserving pot over medium heat, combine the pears, lemon zest and juice, and water. Cook until the pears are soft, 20 to 30 minutes. When the pears are translucent and tender, puree them through a food mill or in the bowl of a food processor. Return the puree to the pot.

Place a baking sheet on the counter near your stove. Heat a kettle of water. Set two stockpots on the stove and fill them with enough water to cover the jars by 1 to 2 inches. Bring the water to a boil over medium-high heat. Sterilize the jars (see this page) in the water bath.

Return the fruit puree to low heat and add the sugar and vanilla. Increase the heat to medium and cook, stirring frequently, until the mixture thickens. It may spit and pop a bit, so if you have a splatter screen, you may want to use it. Wear long pot-holder gloves, too. Alternatively, after 15 minutes of stove-top cooking you may transfer the mixture to a shallow baking pan and finish the butter in a 300°F oven, stirring every 10 to 15 minutes until the mixture is very thick. This can take 60 minutes or longer. Add a bit more lemon or vanilla to taste. Do the plate test (see this page); the pear butter should mound and hold its shape. Remove the pot from the heat.

Bring the water bath back to a boil. If the jars have cooled, warm them in the water bath or in a 200°F oven. Simmer the lids in a saucepan of hot water. Place the jars on the baking sheet.

Ladle the pear butter into the jars, leaving ¼-inch headspace. Wipe the rims clean and set the lids on the mouths of the jars. Twist on the rings.

Using a jar lifter, gently lower the jars into the pots. When the water returns to a boil, decrease the heat to an active simmer, and process the jars for 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and leave the jars in the water for 1 to 2 minutes.

Using the jar lifter, transfer the jars from the pots to the baking sheet and let sit for at least 6 hours, until cool enough to handle. Check to be sure the jars have sealed (see this page). Label and store the sealed pear butter for 6 months to 2 years. Once open, store in the refrigerator for up to 3 months.

— Use 1 cup of vanilla sugar (see this page) in place of 1 cup of the granulated sugar and omit the vanilla extract.

— You can also spice pear butter with ½ teaspoon or more of ground cinnamon, ginger, or cloves (choose two of the three) instead of vanilla. Using freshly grated ginger is also an option. Add it to the pears during the initial cooking.

I often use Anjou or Comice pears for this chutney, but I also like Asian pears for their nice crunch and shape retention. No citric acid is needed, because ample vinegar and citrus are included.

Serve the chutney with curries, roast chicken, or pork. It also pairs well with cheese and is great on a grilled cheese sandwich.

5 pounds firm-ripe Anjou or Comice pears or Asian pears, peeled, cored, and cut into large dice

Combine the ginger, onion, oranges, and a splash of the vinegar in the bowl of a food a processor and pulse until pureed.

In a large preserving pot over medium heat, combine the pears and orange mixture, 1½ cups vinegar, brown sugar, cloves, cinnamon, salt, and cayenne. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the mixture thickens.

When the chutney is thick, add the raisins, stirring frequently (to prevent the raisins from sinking and scorching), and cook for 15 to 20 minutes longer. If the raisins start to drink all of the liquid, add a bit more water, apple juice, or apple cider vinegar to keep the mixture syrupy. Do a plate test (see this page). The chutney should mound on the plate but still be syrupy. If the chutney is not ready, cook a few more minutes and repeat the plate test until it passes. Remove the pot from the heat.

Bring the water bath back to a boil. If the jars have cooled, warm them in the water bath or in a 200°F oven. Simmer the lids in a saucepan of hot water. Place the jars on the baking sheet.

Ladle the chutney into the jars, leaving ¼-inch headspace. Wipe the rims clean and set the lids on the mouths of the jars. Twist on the rings.

Using a jar lifter, gently lower the jars into the pots. When the water returns to a boil, decrease the heat to an active simmer, and process the jars for 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and leave the jars in the water for 1 to 2 minutes.

Using the jar lifter, transfer the jars from the pots to the baking sheet and let sit for at least 6 hours, until cool enough to handle. Check to be sure the jars have sealed (see this page). Label and store the sealed chutney for 6 months to 2 years. Once open, store in the refrigerator for up to 3 months.

You can use Comice, Anjou, Seckel, or Bartlett pears for this recipe, but I prefer Morettini, which are an Italian pear variety bred in 1956 in New Zealand. They are a cross between an Italian Coscia pear and a French butter pear. Small and easy to fit in jars, they’re greenish yellow with a red blush. Their flesh is creamy white, sweet, and spicy and somewhat reminiscent of Comice pears. In the San Francisco Bay Area, I get them from Aomboon at K & J Farm.

2 pounds small Comice, Anjou, Seckel, or Bartlett pears, or 8 Morettini pears, peeled, halved, and cored

Place a baking sheet on the counter near your stove. Heat a kettle of water. Set a stockpot on the stove and fill it with enough water to cover the jars by 1 to 2 inches. Bring the water to a boil over medium-high heat. Sterilize the jars (see this page) in the water bath.

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the vinegar, 1 cup water, and sugar and bring to a boil. Add the red pepper flakes and rosemary. Boil the syrup for 5 minutes, until it is slightly thickened. Add the pear halves and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the largest pear penetrates easily.

Bring the water bath back to a boil. If the jars have cooled, warm them in the water bath or in a 200°F oven. Simmer the lids in a saucepan of hot water. Place the jars on the baking sheet.

Discard the rosemary sprigs from the syrup. Return the syrup to a boil and reduce until it thickens, 8 to 10 minutes.

Ladle the syrup into the hot, sterilized jars, leaving ¼-inch headspace. Wipe the rims clean and set the lids on the mouths of the jars. Twist on the rings.

Using the jar lifter, gently lower the jars into the pot. When the water returns to a boil, decrease the heat to an active simmer, and process the jars for 20 minutes. Turn off the heat and leave the jars in the water for 1 to 2 minutes.

Using the jar lifter, transfer the jars from the pot to the baking sheet and let sit for at least 6 hours, until cool enough to handle. Check to be sure the jars have sealed (see this page). Label and store the sealed pears for 6 months to 2 years. Once open, store in the refrigerator for up to 3 months.