Homemade Pear Butter

Cook the pears until mashable: Put chopped pears, star anise, and ginger into a large pot. Add 2 cups of water and 1 cup of lemon juice. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook until the pears are completely soft, anywhere from 25 to 40 minutes. Remove from heat.

Push the cooked pears through a food mill: Fish out and discard the star anise from the pear mixture. Ladle the pear mixture (liquid included) into a chinoise or food mill and (use a pestle if using a chinoise) force the mixture through to a large bowl below. Discard remaining solids (seeds, stems, tough parts).

Add the pear purée and sugar to the pot, season: Measure the resulting purée, and pour into a large (8-qt), wide, thick-bottomed pan. For every cup of pear purée, add 1/3 to 1/2 cup of sugar (adjust given the sweetness of the pears). Stir to dissolve the sugar. Add the cardamom, nutmeg, and lemon zest. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary.

Cook until thick: Cook on medium heat, stirring often to prevent the purée from sticking to the bottom of the pan and burning. Cook until the mixture is quite thick, and a small bit placed on a chilled plate is not runny. This can take anywhere from 45 minutes to 2 hours, depending on the batch.

Prepare jars for canning: While the mixture is cooking, prepare a water bath for canning. Place a steamer rack in a large stockpot, and place 6 to 8 half-pint canning jars on the rack. Fill the jars and the pot with enough hot water to cover the jars by 1 inch. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Wash the lids in hot, soapy water.

Pour the pear butter into the jars: When the pear butter is ready, pour into the hot jars. and seal, leaving 1/4 inch head space between the pear butter and the rims of the jars. Wipe the rims of the jars clean. Screw on the bands so they are fingertip-tight. If you plan to store the pear butter outside of a refrigerator, follow proper canning procedures. Lower the filled jars into the stock pot with canning tongs. Make sure the water covers the jars by at least 1 inch. Bring to a full rolling boil and process for 10 minutes. The sealed jars will keep for a long time, but are best consumed within 1 year. Did you love the recipe? Give us some stars and leave a comment below!