Recipe from Eugenia Bone
Adapted by Amanda Hesser
- Total Time
- 1 hour
- Rating
- 4(25)
- Notes
- Read community notes
You will need two pint-size wide-mouth Ball or Kerr jars with bands and new lids, available at many hardware stores or at freundcontainer.com. Avoid table-ripe fruit. Ripe or very ripe fruit may produce a mushy result. —Amanda Hesser
Featured in: Brandied Peaches, 1951
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Ingredients
Yield:Makes 2 pints (Serves 6)
- 3firm Bartlett pears
- ¼cup lemon juice (bottled or fresh)
- 1cup sugar
- 5 or 6sprigs fresh thyme
- ½cup apple cider or other fruit juice
- 2small bay leaves
- 6whole peppercorns
- 22-inch strips lemon peel, pith removed
- ½cup red or white wine
- Amaretto cookies
- Ricotta
- Confectioners’ sugar
For the Serving
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Preparation
Step
1
Have ready two clean wide-mouth pint jars with screw-on bands. You can reuse jars and bands if they aren’t chipped or dented, but you must use new lids every time you process. Bring a small pot of water to a simmer over medium-low heat and add two new lids. Simmer for a few minutes, then turn off the heat.
Step
2
Cut the pears in half from pole to pole. Using a small spoon, scoop out the seeds. Trim the stem ends to create round pear halves, leaving the pears as large as possible. Peel. Place the lemon juice in a bowl with 2 cups of water. Stir and add the peeled pears.
Step
3
Place the sugar, thyme and 1 cup of water in a medium saucepan and bring to a low boil over medium heat to dissolve the sugar. Add the cider and heat through. Add the pears and simmer for a few minutes, until they are heated through. Gently pack the pears, cut-side down, in the jars. Three halves will fit in each jar. Tuck one bay leaf, 3 or so peppercorns and a lemon peel in each jar.
Step
4
Strain the syrup over the pears, filling the jars about ¾ full. Using a butter knife, gently release any air bubbles. Top the jars with the wine, leaving ½ inch of space between the liquid and the lid. If the pears bob a bit above the liquid, it’s O.K.
Step
5
Wipe the rims of the jars with a clean towel, place the lids on and screw on the bands fingertip-tight — don’t crank them closed. Place the jars in a pot with a rack and cover with water by 2 inches. Bring to a boil and simmer gently for 20 minutes. Turn off the heat, let the jars rest for 5 minutes, then remove them to cool. You will hear a popping sound as the vacuum seals the lid to the jar. When the jars are cool, check the seals: Press on the lids. They should be taut and pulled down toward the inside of the jar. If a lid bounces when you press on it, the seal is imperfect and you will have to reprocess the jar with a new lid, or refrigerate and eat within two weeks. The pears may float in the liquid; it’s O.K. Store in a cool, dark place for up to a year. Refrigerate after opening.
Step
6
To serve, drain the pears and boil the canning liquid in a small saucepan until syrupy and reduced by half. Drizzle over the pears. They are good at room temperature, cold or warmed in the syrup. Garnish with crumbled amaretto cookies or a dollop of ricotta sweetened with confectioners’ sugar.
Ratings
4
out of 5
25
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Cooking Notes
cara
I had a lot of pears and tripled this recipe, canning them. Tonight, I opened the first jar, serving them exactly as the recipe suggested - with homemade amaretto cookies and ricotta, reducing their canning liquid to a thin syrup. WOW. This was such a surprise and so so good. I’m going to freeze the cookies in ziplocks to pull out throughout the winter when I want to serve some warm poached pears.
Mary Bycroft
What about the wine? I imagine it is part of the syrup. Did anyone use red?
John A.
Had these for dessert today about three months after we canned them. Absolutely delicious. Reduced the syrup as directed and served with crushed Graham crackers. Very sad we only made four pints this fall. Highly recommend.
cara
I had a lot of pears and tripled this recipe, canning them. Tonight, I opened the first jar, serving them exactly as the recipe suggested - with homemade amaretto cookies and ricotta, reducing their canning liquid to a thin syrup. WOW. This was such a surprise and so so good. I’m going to freeze the cookies in ziplocks to pull out throughout the winter when I want to serve some warm poached pears.
Janet
Do you add the lemon juice and water along with the pears or just the pears?
Janet
The recipe calls for three pears. How are they divided between the two jars?
Melissa
Recipe says 3 halves fit in a pint jar.
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