I’ve had a lot of fun figuring out what to do with those Kieffer pears that grow in my yard. Here is yet another summer delight that I thought I would share with you – pear butter, only I’ve tweaked a recipe so that no sugar is used to sweeten it.

Yield: 4-5 half-pint jars

Ingredients:

2 lbs. pears
1/2 cup frozen apple juice concentrate
1/4 cup honey
juice of one lemon
dash cinnamon (or two cinnamon sticks)

Peel, core, and quarter the pears then dice into 1″ chunks.

Pear Butter (1)

Place with remaining ingredients into a Crock pot. Cook on high for 5 hours.

Pear Butter

Transfer to a blender, reserving leftover liquid. Purée, adding a few tablespoons of liquid if necessary to achieve spreading consistency. Pour into jars, pressing out air bubbles if needed. Leave 1/2″ of space at the top of the jar.

Pear Butter (9)

Screw on two-piece lids and boil for 20 minutes in a water bath.

Pear Butter (3)

Remove from water and allow to cool for 6-8 hours.

Pear Butter (4)

Pear butter tastes great when spread onto a slice of toast or added to oatmeal for a warm winter breakfast. The jars will store for about a year.

Pear Butter (5)

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