I have a very old Bartlett Pear tree on my property. The weather must have been perfect this year because my tree produced an abundance of pears. We ate pears all late summer and fall in many different dishes. I used them in salads, sliced as a snack, poached for dessert, and last weekend made pear butter with my daughter.
Ingredients
12 cups of ripe pears, peeled, cored and diced
6 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice
½ cup unfiltered apple juice
1 tablespoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon salt
Pinch of ground cloves
Pinch of fresh ground nutmeg
Stir all ingredients together in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer partially covered for about 40 – 50 minutes. Stir occasionally and keep an eye on the mixture so that the bottom does not burn. Once the mixture has reduced and thickened remove it from the heat. Carefully transfer to a food processor. Pulse until smooth. Be very careful to have the lid on tight while pulsing the hot mixture.
Transfer to clean and warm canning jars. Refrigerate when cool or put in a boiling water bath for 8 minutes to seal the jars for longer shelf life.
My favorite way to eat pear butter is to put it on crusty buttered toast. Delicious!
