Pear Jam

If you ever find yourself with more ripe pears than you know what to do with, you’ll be thrilled that you also found this pear jam canning recipe, because it will preserve your pears for months to come, letting you enjoy pear jam on bagels or toast, in cookies or pastries, or however else you want a sweet and spiced treat of a spread.

While there are many pear jam recipes to try out there, this one uses just four ingredients and is a great starting point for learning how to can. After trying this pear jam as laid out here, you can explore your own pear jam recipes with different spice profiles, if you’re lucky enough to be someone who frequently has a surplus of fresh pears on hand!

Pear Jam Ingredients

• Pears: This recipe calls for 8 cups of chopped or coarsely ground peeled pears. That’s about 5-1/2 pounds of pear, which is a lot. You can scale the recipe down, keeping everything in proportion, or scale it up if you have a true abundance of pears.
• Sugar: Jam requires a lot of sugar, both for the sweetness you love and for the fact that sugar is a preservative. Long story short, don’t cut down on the sugar, as it’s essential for the jam to remain food safe for months to come.
• Ground cinnamon: The pears supply most of the flavor here, but the spices add the perfect frame to the fruit flavor. Cinnamon has a potent flavor, so it doesn’t take much for it to stand out.
• Ground cloves: And cloves are even more powerful than cinnamon, so just 1/4 teaspoon is all that’s needed to add flavor to this large batch of pear jam.

Directions

Step 1: Simmer the jam ingredients

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In a Dutch oven, combine the pears, sugar, cinnamon and cloves, then bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to a low simmer and let the jam cook, uncovered, until it has thickened, 1 hour and 30 minutes to 2 hours. Stir the jam occasionally during the first hour, and stir it more frequently as the mixture thickens.

Step 2: Skim off the foam

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Remove the cooked jam from the heat, then skim off the foam.

Step 3: Add the jam to jars

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Carefully ladle the jam into hot 1/2-pint jars, leaving 1/4 inch of headspace. Remove the air bubbles by gently shaking the jars, then wipe the rims and apply the lids.

Step 4: Process the jam

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Process the jam jars for 10 minutes in a boiling water canner.

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Pear Jam Variations

• Use some brown sugar: For a jam that’s still plenty sweet but a bit less “sugary” sweet and a bit more nuanced, swap out half the regular sugar for brown sugar. Make sure the brown sugar is packed when you measure it.
• Try a different spice profile: Consider replacing the ground clove with ground nutmeg for a pear jam that will be perfect during the winter holidays—the jam will keep well into winter, so this flavor profile will be welcome in the colder months.
• Add a splash of lemon juice: A tablespoon or so of lemon juice will add a pleasant tartness to this pear jam recipe and also act as an added preservative. If you’re unsure, here’s how to juice lemons the easy way.

How to Store Pear Jam

If properly sealed, this pear jam will store well in the jars at room temperature for 6 to 12 months; just be sure to keep it out of direct sunlight. And once a jar has been opened, store it in the fridge and enjoy it within two to three weeks.

Can you freeze pear jam?

You can freeze pear jam, but it will not extend its food-safe lifespan much. The only good reason to freeze it is if you have a portion from an opened jar. Freeze this jam for two to three months in a freezer-safe bag or container, and use it within several days after thawing.

Pear Jam Tips

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How can I adjust the processing time at altitude?

The processing time shared here is for altitudes of 1,000 feet or less. Add one minute to the processing time for each 1,000 feet of additional altitude at which you find yourself making this pear jam.

What should I use this pear jam for?

Pear jam is a delight on toast or bagels, it’s great in cookies and pastries, and it can be enjoyed as a sweet layer added to cakes too. And don’t forget to try it with pork chops!

Why is my jam so thick?

If your pear jam comes out too thick, the water content in the pears might have been lower than ideal. When using pears not at peak ripeness, add about 1/2 tablespoon of water for each pear you process for this jam.