| Ingredients 3kgs pears 2 tablespoons lemon juice 3 cups water 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 2 teaspoons cinnamon 1 teaspoon cardamom, (very important) 1 teaspoon nutmeg 1 cup orange juice 2 tablespoons honey INSTRUCTIONS Slice each of your pears in half, core them, removing any stem, and then drop them into your waiting crockpot. Add all of your spices. I suggest adding dry stuff first so that your measuring spoons don’t get all wet before you need them to measure spices. Add in your vanilla, lemon juice, orange juice, and water. Close up your crockpot and cook on high for a few hours, until your pears are falling apart. Open up the crockpot and drizzle your honey over the top. Stir in to melt. Now you’ll need an immersion blender to do this with the least mess. If you don’t have one, a blender will do. Blend up your jam until it’s the consistency you’re looking for, smooth or chunky. Pour your jam into your glass pint jars. At this point, you can store it all in the refrigerator, the freezer, or you can preserve them for long periods of time by canning them. To can them, fill them to the bottom of the neck of each jar and wipe the rims of each of your jars with a damp washcloth. Add a clean lid to each jar and then twist a ring over each lid, but only until you feel the slightest resistance. Set your jars down into a water bath canner, making sure each jar does not touch the pot or any other jar. Mine holds 7 pint jars. Fill your canner with water, covering your jars by about two inches of water or so. Put on the lid and turn the heat to high. When your water reaches a rolling boil, turn down the heat a couple notches being careful to maintain the boil. Set your timer for 10 minutes. When your jars have processed for the full ten minutes, remove them from the water and set them aside on a towel to cool for 24 hours. You will know they have sealed if the center of each lid has popped down and pings when you tap it. Label each jar with item name and date, remove the rings, and store in a cool, dry place for up to a year. |