Pear Butter

Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 105 min
Servings: 32
Yield: 32 servings

Description

This pear butter recipe flavors cooked pears with orange zest and ground nutmeg for a soft and fruity spread on toast or topping for roast pork.

Ingredients

4 pounds medium pears, quartered and cored
1/2 cup cold water, or as needed
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon grated orange zest
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 cup orange juice

Directions

1 Gather all ingredients.
2 Place pears into a large pot over medium heat; add just enough water to cover the bottom of the pot and keep them from sticking, about 1/2 cup. Cook until the pears are soft, about 30 minutes.
3 Press pears through a sieve or food mill, and measure out 2 quarts of the pulp.
4 Pour pear pulp and sugar into a large saucepan and stir to dissolve sugar. Stir in orange zest, nutmeg, and orange juice. Cook over medium heat until mixture is thick enough to mound in a spoon.
5 When mixture begins to thicken, stir frequently to prevent scorching on the bottom. This process will take about 1 hour.
6 Ladle pear butter into hot sterile jars, leaving 1/4 inch of headspace. Remove air bubbles by sliding a metal spatula around where the pear butter touches the glass. Wipe jar rims clean, and seal with lids and rings.
7 Process for 10 minutes in a boiling water bath. The water should cover the jars by 1 inch. Check with your local extension for exact processing times for your area.
8 Enjoy!