Best 2 Pear Preserves Old Fashioned Recipes

If you're looking for a classic and delicious way to preserve the sweet flavors of summer pears, look no further than old-fashioned pear preserves. This time-honored recipe has been passed down through generations for its simplicity, affordability, and unforgettable taste. With just a few pantry staples and some fresh, ripe pears, you can create a timeless treat that will delight your family and friends. Whether you enjoy it on toast, crackers, or your favorite dessert, pear preserves are sure to become a staple in your kitchen.

Here are our top 2 tried and tested recipes!

OLD-FASHIONED PEAR PRESERVES

Old-Fashioned Pear Preserves image

These are old-fashioned preserves like grandma used to make, with silky pieces of fruit in a sweet, jelled syrup. Perfect for hot biscuits, morning toast, on top of rice pudding, or stirred into plain yogurt. Add ginger, nutmeg, and/or cardamom. They're also nice with orange or lemon peel. You can use any amount of pears up to four pounds. Greater amounts don't seem to work as well. The recipe takes three days, but most of that time is hands-off.

Provided by Cinnamon Turtle

Categories Pears

Time P3DT30m

Yield 6 pints

Number Of Ingredients 3

Ingredients

4 lbs pears
4 lbs granulated sugar
1 lemon

Steps:

Day 1:.
Peel and core pears. Slice or dice into pieces of desired size.
Place pears in a large bowl and add an equal amount of sugar by weight (e.g. 4 lbs of pears = 4 lbs of sugar) Add juice of one lemon. Zest is optional, but adds a nice flavor. Stir gently to distribute sugar. Leave in refrigerator overnight. Stir several times to coat fruit with syrup.
Day 2:.
Place pears and syrup in a large pot. Bring to a boil, boil 10 minutes. Reduce heat to simmer and cook an additional 15-20 minutes until pears are translucent and candied. Turn off heat and leave pears in syrup overnight (no need to refrigerate). Place a clean dish towel under pot lid to prevent condensation.
Day 3:.
Remove pears from syrup, straining all syrup back into the pot. Bring syrup to a boil and cook to desired thickness (usually around 220 degrees). Test doneness by dropping syrup onto a frozen plate. It should gel almost immediately. When ready add pears back to syrup and remove from heat. Stir gently for approximately 10 minutes as preserves cool. This will keep the fruit distributed in the syrup and prevent it floating to the top of your jars.
Place preserves in sterilized jars leaving 1/2 inch of head space. If packing hot jars, process in boiling water bath for 5 minutes. For cold jars, process 10 minutes.
Leave jars undisturbed for 24 hours to cool and set. Enjoy!

PEAR PRESERVES (OLD FASHIONED)

Pear Preserves (Old Fashioned) image

My mother-in-law's step mother (her biological mother died when she was a baby)was an excellent cook and taught her how to cook good food at an early age. After she became my wonderful mother-in-law and friend she passed many things on to me. Letting the chopped pears for Pear Preserves set over night in sugar was an important...

Provided by Jewel Hall

Categories Jams & Jellies

Time 4h

Number Of Ingredients 7

Ingredients

8 c pears
5 c sugar
1/4 c lemon juice
1 tsp ground ginger
2 tsp ground allspice
2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 c brown sugar

Steps:

1. Peel, core, and slice pears into 1/2 to 3/4 inch pieces, then measure out 8 cups.
2. In a stock pot mix pears with the 5 cups of sugar and 1/4 cup of lemon juice. Gently combine all. Let set in pot over night, cover with light towel or single layer of sheeting material.
3. Next morning, put stock pot of pears on med/low stove burner. Stir gently to mix. Juices from pears, lemon juice, and sugar will have made a liquid over night. Bring to a low boil. Turn down to simmer and cook slowly 3 to 4 hours or until pears are clear and pink and syrup thickens. More sugar may be added once cup at a time during last part of cooking process until desired thickness is reached. Be careful not to add too much sugar, just gently stir often and observe.
4. Have jars and lids sterlized in boiling water. 8 1/2 pint jars and 8 lids. Leave on simmer.
5. When desired doneness is reached, remove from heat; stir in brown sugar, ginger,allspice, and nutmeg.
6. Fill sterlized jars to 1/2 inch of top, wipe off rim of jar with a wet cloth to remove any syrup that may have dripped on rim. Top with lids and rings, tighten firmly.
7. Process jars in boiling water 10 minutes to seal, (water should be heating while filling jars). Store in cool, dry, place away from direct light. Makes about seven 1/2 pint jars.

Tips:

Choose ripe, firm pears for the best flavor and texture.
Peel and core the pears before cooking to save time.
Use a heavy-bottomed pot to prevent the preserves from burning.
Stir the preserves frequently to prevent them from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
Cook the preserves until they reach a thick, syrupy consistency.
Let the preserves cool completely before storing them in airtight containers.

Conclusion:

Pear preserves are a delicious and versatile condiment that can be enjoyed in many different ways. They can be spread on toast, crackers, or scones, used as a filling for pies and tarts, or added to yogurt or oatmeal. They are also a great way to use up ripe pears that would otherwise go to waste. With a little time and effort, you can easily make your own pear preserves at home. So next time you have a few extra pears on hand, give this recipe a try. You won't be disappointed!