| INGREDIENTS 17 to 18 pounds pears (roughly 30 to 35 pears) Canning Syrup, Juice or Water *see note (Optional- lemon juice to prevent browning) INSTRUCTIONS Prepare a water bath canner. Peel and halve pears. Core pears, using a small measuring spoon to scoop out the core. Slice if desired, or leave as halves. Place prepared pears in a bowl of cool water with a splash of lemon juice added to prevent browning while you work. Once pears are prepared, bring a pot with the canning liquid of your choice to a boil on the stove (see note on canning liquids). Add the pears and cook for 5 minutes, until the pears are fully heated through. Pack the pears into canning jars leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Ladle canning liquid over the top of the fruits maintaining a 1/2 inch headspace. De-bubble jars, do any final headspace adjustments, and then cap with 2 part canning lids. Process the jars in a water bath canner for 20 minutes for pints and 25 minutes for quarts. (Recipe is written for a 7-quart canner batch below 1000 feet in elevation, see notes for other batch sizes and elevations.) Once the canning time is complete, remove the jars to cool on a towel on the counter. After 24 hours, check seals and store any unsealed jars in the refrigerator for immediate use. Sealed jars of properly canned pears should maintain peak quality in the pantry at room temperature for 12-18 months. NOTES Batch Size ~ It takes roughly 17 to 18 pounds of whole pears to fill a canner batch of 7 quarts (about 2 1/2 pound per quart). For pints, estimate 10 to 11 pounds of pears for a 9-pint canner batch (or about 1 1/4 pounds pears per pint). |