A flavorful, small batch pear jam lightly sweetened with brown sugar, giving it caramel flavor. With the addition of flaky sea salt and simmering time, this version resembles caramel decadence in jam form. The brown sugar boils down into absolute deliciousness, and the addition of cardamom brings warmth and depth. This pear jam recipe has no added pectin.
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Although the song “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year” was made for the holidays, I find the lyrics playing in my head as I stroll down the aisles of the farmers market these days.
Tomatoes of all colors, crisp cucumbers, zucchini of every size, bags full of sweet corn piled high. And in fall there are winter squash, pears and apples just starting to arrive. It’s the true essence of a beautiful summer meets fall collision. Canning and preserving each season’s harvest is one of my favorite hobbies, ensuring that I can enjoy things all year long.
In Spring, I love to make fresh rhubarb sauce. In summer, several batches of zucchini pickles, tomatillo salsa verde, and fire roasted salsa.
What pears are great for making jam?
Seckel pears are the sweetest and the smallest of the pear family and look like a blushing bosc, which you’ll commonly find in grocery stores. So if you can’t find seckel pears, bosc work well in this recipe too. Both have a delicious spice flavor to them and a fresh crispness even when ripe.
Those qualities make them perfect for simmering and preserving into this Caramel Cardamom Pear Jam. Swoon……
How to Make Pear Jam:
Getting this jam to set couldn’t be easier. It naturally happens as the fruit simmers for an hour and the juice of a lemon at the end gives it the acidity it needs for canning safety, no artificial pectin needed.
I peeled half of the pears, but left the others with the skin on because I like a little bit of texture. (If you like something completely smooth, this Vanilla Chai Pear Butter is delicious too.)
The end result is lush preserves that with the addition of a hint of salt, give off a homemade caramel taste.
Its ideal match is a fresh slice of whole wheat sourdough bread, but let me tell you, it’s amazing on ice cream or with big cluster granola and yogurt.
With the addition of flaky sea salt and double the simmering time, this version resembles caramel decadence in jam form. The brown sugar boils down into a sticky, sweet mess, and the addition of cardamom is what autumn comfort is all about.
Cardamom is one of my favorite warming spices, such a lovely match to the slight spice of the seckel pears. I ground the seeds of the green pods with a mortar and pestle, it’s scent so unique – a hint of eucalyptus and citrus and cloves.
Used this way, the spice is quite potent, which is why you’ll see two measurements – one for if you grind it yourself, the other if you buy it pre-ground, where exposure to air tames it down a bit.
A flavorful, small batch pear jam lightly sweetened with brown sugar, giving it caramel flavor. The cardamom adds warmth and depth, making this a winning jam.
3 ¼poundsof pears,half of them peeled (I used Seckel, but I think any variety would work)
1 1/4cupslightly packed brown sugar
scant 1/2 teaspoon flaky salt
juice of one large lemon
¾teaspoonground cardamom or (1/2 teaspoon freshly ground cardamom if you grind it yourself in a mortar and pestle or spice mill.it’s more intense, so less is needed)
Instructions
Sterilize jars in boiling water canner. and wash lids and tops with soapy water.
Coarsely chop the pears, then combine them with the sugar in a large pot and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Simmer, stirring frequently and lightly mash with a potato masher the pears soften, until the mixture thickens and is syrupy. This will take about 45 minutes, and you will see larger bubbles forming in the simmer.
Stir in the salt, lemon juice and cardamom, then simmer for 2 more minutes.
Ladle the hot preserves into hot jars leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Remove any air bubbles. Wipe the rims. Center the lids on the jars. Apply bands until the fit is just tight.
Process the jars in a boiling water bath canner for 10 minutes, adjusting for altitude. Turn off the heat and let the jars sit for 5 minutes then remove the jars and let cool in a draft-free spot overnight. Check the lids for seal after 24 hours – they should not flex up and down when the center is pressed. Store in a cool, dark place for up to one year.
Alternatively, if you don’t want to mess with the canning, you can skip the whole jar sterilizing and boiling water bath process — just store in clean, air-tight jars in the refrigerator for up to a month.
When juice is substituted for water in canning, it provides calories that need to be considered for people on special diets. Other sweeteners such as brown sugar, corn syrup and honey can be used, but the flavor of the canned food may be different than expected.
Sadly, sugar plays a huge role in set. If you cut the amount in the recipe and you don't compensate with a pectin designed for low sugar preserving, your jam may well be runny. Did you check for set while the jam was cooking? Any time a recipe gives you a cooking time, it's simply an approximation.
Preserves can be stored in the refrigerator for up to three months. Jars do not have to be fully sealed for refrigeration. The shelf-stable method of preserving pears and similar foods makes storage easy. If properly sealed, pear preserves can be stored in a cool, dark place for up to one year.
Pack the pears into hot, sterilized jars.Cover the pears with boiling water, leaving 1/2-inch headspace.Process in a boiling water canner: 25 minutes for pints, 30 minutes for quarts. Enjoy your home canned pears in homemade yogurt, oatmeal, or straight from the jar!
You certainly can! you won't find it in a commercial jam as it adds extra flavour, and the course white sugar they use sets firmer and clearer than brown, but in a blueberry jam, which sets very thick with whatever sugar you use so brown sugar is a great choice for a deeper flavour.
To keep air out, simply store your Brown Sugar in any airtight container. Your best options are glass or reusable plastic containers with locking and sealing lids. If you don't have a container large enough, a sealable, freezer-safe bag will do.
Also, have sterilized jars with lids and rings at hand. Cut the pears into quarters, remove the core, and peel. Slice quarters in thirds if working with large pears or into half in working with small pears. Place prepared pears in water with 1 tbsp of lemon juice to keep them from turning brown.
The pink color persisted in the residues, and canned pears gave significantly higher amounts of residues after solvent and enzyme treatments than fresh pears. Procyanidins were the entities responsible for the appearance of pink discoloration.
Bartlett, Bosc and Seckel are good varieties to preserve, however Anjou, Comice, Nelis and Forelle may also be preserved, depending on the end product. It is important to harvest pears at the correct time. Pick them when they are mature in size but not yet fully ripe.
Prevent discoloration of the peeled pears by holding them in a solution made by crushing six 500mg vitamin C tablets (or 1 teaspoon ascorbic acid) in one gallon water or use a commercial ascorbic acid mixture. Drain pears well before canning or freezing.
You may be wondering if you need to cook pears before canning. This is considered hot-packing pears, when you boil them slightly before adding them to your canning jars. You do not need to cook pears before canning, you can use a raw-pack method, but here's why I recommend using a hot pack method.
Freeze Pears In Syrup To Preserve Their Color And Texture
That's why it's commonly used for canning fruits, or as an ingredient in jams and jellies. Freezing pears in sugar syrup can help preserve their color and texture better than freezing them alone, allowing for a wider range of uses.
Although pears are most often canned in simple syrup, it is quite safe to can them in juice or even plain water. The canning liquid is a flavoring element, not a safety consideration. There are two basic ways to safely can pears: the hot pack method and the raw pack method.
Note: The higher temperature in pressure canning can cause pink discoloration in canned pears. Boiling water canning would be a better option. Table 1. Recommended process time for Pears, halved in a boiling-water canner.
How Long Do You Process Pears in a Water Bath? Pears need to be in a water bath canner for 20 minutes for pint canning jars, and 25 minutes for quarts.
Some sweeteners can overpower the delicate flavor of fruit. Brown sugar and molasses usually are not recommended for use in preserving fruit because of their stronger flavor. Besides providing sweetness, sugar helps preserve jams and jellies by preventing microorganisms from growing.
Most recipes will call for white or brown sugar. Brown sugar will produce a darker brine and different flavor. Water plays a key role in the firmness of a finished pickled product. A soft water is recommended for pickle making.
Non-nutritive sweeteners may be added when canned goods are served rather than using them in canning. Sucralose (Splenda®) maintains its sweetness in canning. Recipes have been developed for canning pickles and jams with Splenda®.
The moisture from the mallows gets absorbed into the dried-out sugar. Just drop a few marshmallows into your container of brown sugar and seal it up tight. The sugar should be softer in a day or so.
Introduction: My name is Van Hayes, I am a thankful, friendly, smiling, calm, powerful, fine, enthusiastic person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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