I have a friend down the road who said she would give me some pears in exchange for some recipes for pears. I took her several recipes and came home with a 5 gallon bucket and grocery sack full of pears. A week later she called and told me to come and get the rest because she didn't have time to do anything with them and they were going to waste. I came home with 3 5 gallon buckets full of pears. I also took her several jars of pear sauce that I had made from the first batch. I am now making pear butter, more pear sauce, canning pear halves and whatever else I can think of. The only drawback is that her pears are small...some are very small. They are very good pears though. I usually get pears from my mom but her trees didn't do so well this year and we need to figure out what is wrong. If anyone knows why the pears would literally rot while hanging on the tree please let me know. Most of mom's did just that. I got a few that only had small rotten spots to check them and the rest of the pear was funky looking. Those pears went to the horses. Speaking of...all the critters are loving this gift of pears as they are getting they peels and the cores. She doesn't spray her trees so they are pesticide/fungicide free and safe for everybody to have. So here are my recipes for pear butter and pear sauce.
Pear Sauce
1 gallon peeled and sliced pears
Cinnamon to taste (I use about 3-4 tablespoons
1 cup sugar
4 tablespoons lemon juice
Place all of this in a stock pot with about 1 cup of water and simmer until the pears are mushy. You can then use a stick blender or potato masher to mash them up. Fill jars, leaving 1 inch headspace. Water bath them 20 minutes for pints and 30 for quarts.
Pear butter:
Prepare the pear sauce as above then place in crockpot on high until reduced in volume to half. I also at nutmeg to my pear butter. I usually use about 1 tablespoon of the nutmeg. Fill jars and process pints 25 minutes and quarts 35 minutes in a hot water bath.
Both are delicious and the pear butter makes a great gift item. Needless to say my friend will be getting some more sauce, butter and a pie for her gift. I know she has more pears, but I am getting kinda tired of looking at pears. not to mention the peeling and slicing. Blessings from the farm, Kat
1 comment:
I love pear butter! We have two pear trees planted but they are still years away from a good production year.
We were blessed with peach this summer, a gift via a neighbor and we are ever so much enjoying the jam we made with some of them. :o)
Blessings,
Kelle
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