CARAMEL PEAR BUTTER

Steps:

• Combine apple juice and 4 tablespoons lemon juice in heavy large deep pot.
• Peel, core, and cut pears, 1 at a time, into 1/2- to 3/4-inch pieces; mix pears into juice mixture in pot as soon as pears are cut, to prevent browning.
• Cook over medium heat until pears release enough juice for mixture to boil, stirring frequently, about 16 minutes.
• Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and simmer until pears are very tender, stirring frequently, about 20 minutes (mixture will splatter).
• Remove pot from heat.
• Press pear mixture through fine plate of food mill into large bowl.
• Return pear puree to same pot.
• Add 2 tablespoons lemon juice, brown sugar, nutmeg, and 3/4 teaspoon coarse salt.
• Bring to boil over medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolves.
• Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered until pear butter thickens and is reduced to 8 cups, stirring every 5 minutes to prevent scorching, about 1 hour.
• Ladle pear butter into 8 hot clean 1/2-pint glass canning jars, leaving 1/4-inch space at top of jars.
• Remove air bubbles.
• Wipe jar threads and rims with clean damp cloth.
• Cover with hot lids; apply screw bands.
• Process jars in pot of boiling water 10 minutes.
• Cool completely.
• Store in cool dark place up to 1 year.