Pear Jam

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4.92 from 12 votes

A simple pear jam recipe made with only three ingredients—no packaged pectin required!

Prep Time4

Cook Time20

Additional Time10

Total Time4 30

Course: Jam

Cuisine: American

Keyword: pear canning recipe

Servings: servings, makes 4 to 5 half pint (8 oz) jars

Author: Ashley Adamant

Equipment

Water Bath Canner
Canning Jars, Lids and Bands

Ingredients

4 lbs pears as purchased
2 to 3 cups sugar to taste
1/4 cup lemon juice fresh or bottled

Instructions

Peel, core, and coarsely dice the pears, tossing the pieces with the lemon juice in a large bowl as you work to prevent browning.
Sprinkle the sugar over the pears and toss to coat. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for 12 to 24 hours so the fruit can macerate (4 hours minimum).
Prepare a water bath canner, jars, and lids.
Pour the pears and their syrup into a large, heavy bottomed jam pot. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to medium high and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the jam reaches the gel stage (220 degrees F at sea level, or test with a chilled plate).
Remove the pot from the heat. If you'd like a smoother texture, mash the fruit with a potato masher before filling jars.
Ladle the hot jam into prepared jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Remove air bubbles, re-check the headspace, wipe the rims, and apply two piece lids until fingertip tight.
Process in a boiling water bath canner for 10 minutes, adjusting for altitude. Turn off the heat and let the jars rest in the canner for 5 minutes before removing.
Cool the jars on a towel lined counter for 12 to 24 hours, then check seals. Refrigerate any unsealed jars and store sealed jars in a cool, dark place.

Notes

Choosing Pears: Pick flavorful pears that are slightly underripe or barely ripe, since fruit at that stage has the most natural pectin and holds its shape in the pot. Bartlett, Bosc, Anjou, and Comice all work well. Very soft, fully ripe pears still make good jam, but expect a softer set and plan on a careful gel test.

Maceration: Don't skip the overnight rest. The 12 to 24 hours in the refrigerator draws the juice out of the fruit and creates the syrup the pears cook in, so there's no added water thinning the jam. In a pinch, 4 hours is the bare minimum.

Pectin: No added pectin is needed. Pears are naturally rich in pectin, especially when barely ripe, and the lemon juice adds more during maceration. The jam sets by cooking to the gel stage, 220 degrees F at sea level (slightly lower at altitude), or until a spoonful wrinkles on a plate chilled in the freezer.

Sugar: The sugar is adjustable to taste anywhere within the listed range. The lower end gives a more fruit forward jam with a softer set, a slightly longer cook, and a bit less in the jars. The lemon juice is the acid that makes this safe for water bath canning, so adjust the sugar, not the lemon.

Setting: No pectin jams finish setting as they cool, and a batch can take 24 to 48 hours to reach its final texture, so don't judge the set while the jars are still warm. Pear jam leans toward a soft, spoonable set rather than a stiff one. If it's still runny after two full days, it can be re-cooked, or enjoyed as pear syrup on pancakes.

Texture: The diced pears don't break down much during the short cook. For a smoother jam, mash the fruit with a potato masher right before filling the jars, or dice smaller at the start.

Batch Size: This recipe halves cleanly with no changes to the method. Skip the 2x button for this one, though. A doubled batch takes much longer to reach the gel stage and the fruit tends to overcook, so make back to back single batches instead.

Altitude Adjustments: 0 to 6,000 feet: 10 minutes. Above 6,000 feet: 15 minutes.

Storage: Sealed jars keep for 12 to 18 months in a cool, dark place away from direct light. Refrigerate any jar that doesn't seal and use it within a week or two. Once opened, refrigerate and use within 1 to 2 weeks, and discard any jar with a bulging lid, mold, or an off smell.

Nutrition