How to Can Pears in Syrup

This is the simplest and most versatile way to preserve fresh pears, and these are surprisingly good eaten plain out of the jar. This is a cold pack method, storing the fresh pears in a sweet syrup. I’ve included notes below if you want to adjust the sweetness or try a hot pack method instead.

This technique is quite flexible and useful. You can preserve just about any fruit this way.

Ingredients and Tools You’ll Need

Canning requires a few special tools, although there are workarounds. Any large pot will technically work if you don’t have an official water bath canning pot! However, special canning supplies are affordable and very helpful. Quart jars are big enough to make storing easy, but you can use pint jars too.

The pears must be ripe and fresh, or honestly, what’s the point?! A few bruises here and there are okay (and inevitable), just cut them out as you’re prepping the fruit. Bartlett pears are the best, but any pear will work. The lemon juice can be fresh or bottled. It doesn’t matter since it’s not affecting the finished product.

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This will make 4 quarts from 10-12 pounds of pears. If you have A LOT of pears, you can double or triple this recipe, by making adjustments in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Equipment

• Water Bath Canner or large pot with a rack
• Canning Accessories funnel, jar lifter, magnetic lid lifter
• 4 quart jars or 8 pint jars
• New canning lids and rings rings can be reused

Ingredients

• 10-12 pounds ripe pears any variety

For soaking pears after slicing

• 1 gallon water
• ½ cup lemon juice

For the syrup

• 2 cups white sugar
• 8 cups water

How to Can Pears

Step One: Wash Jars

Wash everything. Jars, lids, rings – give them all a good scrub with hot soapy water. Keep the jars hot in your canner or oven while you work. They don’t need to be sterile, just hot and clean.

Step Two: Prep the Pears

Fill a big bowl with water and splash in some lemon juice – this keeps them from turning brown while you work. Wash your pears, then peel, core, and slice them into halves or quarters. Toss them in that lemon water as you go.

Step Three: Make the Syrup

Mix 1 cup sugar with 4 cups water in a large pot. Bring it to a boil and stir until the sugar disappears.

Step Four: Pack the Jars

Drain those pears from the lemon water. Grab a hot jar with your jar lifter and set it on a towel. Use your funnel to pack the pears in there – don’t be shy about it. Pour the hot syrup over them, leaving about ½ inch at the top.

Step Five: Seal Them Up

Wipe the jar rim clean (this MATTERS for sealing), pop on a new lid, and screw the ring on fingertip-tight. Not gorilla-tight, just snug.

Step Six: Process in the Water Bath

Back into the boiling water they go. Make sure there’s at least an inch of water covering the jars. Boil for 25 minutes for quarts, 20 for pints. Pull them out and set on a towel.

Step Seven: Cool and Check

Now comes the best part, listening for that pop as they seal. Once they’re cool, press the center of each lid. It should not flex in any way. Store them somewhere cool and dark, and they’ll be good for a year.

Choosing the Right Syrup

Sugar is the main preservative in this recipe, so you can’t leave it out. However, if you prefer a less-sweet final product, you can reduce it.

I’ve written this recipe for a medium-light syrup, which we love. But you can make your syrup sweeter or lighter! There is no real benefit, per se, to a heavier syrup, just that it will be sweeter and some people prefer that.

Syrup Sweeteness	Water	Sugar	Sugar Percentage
Very Light	7 cups	1 cup	12.5%
Light	6 cups	2 cups	25%
Medium	5 cups	3 cups	37.5%
Heavy	4 cups	4 cups	50%

Hot Pack vs. Cold (Raw) Pack

This recipe is raw pack (also known as cold pack), meaning the pears are put in uncooked at room temperature. We always can our fruit this way because it’s easier and you can get through it much faster. However, hot pack (you heat the fruit and syrup up before canning), does have its advantages.

Hot Pack Method

• Reduced Floating: It typically results in less floating of the fruit in the jar, as air is driven out and the fruit is shrunk before packing
• Time-Consuming: It is more time-consuming as it involves extra cooking steps.
• Heat Sensitivity: The extra heat can potentially affect the texture and taste of certain delicate fruits.

Cold Pack (or Raw Pack) Method

• Simplicity: Cold packing is simpler and quicker. The fruit is packed into the jars without pre-heating.
• Texture Preservation: It may preserve the fruit’s original texture and shape better since it’s not exposed to extra heat beforehand.
• Possible Floating: Fruit may float in the jars, leading to uneven distribution and potential spoilage.

In short, if floating fruit doesn’t bother you, just do raw pack!

More Simple Canning Recipes

We spend countless hours every summer processing fruits and veggies. Here are some of our favorite ways to preserve the harvest. Don’t forget to choose canning recipes you’l actually eat. 😊

• Canned apple pie filling will give you enough filling for four pies.
• Pear butter is sweet and spicy. And you can freeze it if you don’t feel like canning.
• Everyone loves apple butter.
• If you’ve got a garden full of jalapenos, these crisp pickled jalapenos are great for keeping your peppers firm for months.

Printable Recipe