You’ll love the smooth texture of this pear butter and how sweet and spicy your kitchen smells as it bubbles away. It’s a great way to use some of late summer’s best produce.
Table of contents
❤️ Why you’ll love this recipe
- It’s delicious. The perfect blend of warm spices combined with fresh pear flavor, this is amazing on top of your biscuit or morning toast.
- It’s easy! You just dump everything in a pot, simmer, and blend. If you don’t want to can it, it freezes beautifully.
- So versatile, Use it as a fruit spread, filling for homemade pastries, or stirring into oatmeal or yogurt.
🧂 Ingredients
This is an overview of the ingredients. You’ll find the full measurements and instructions in the printable recipe at the bottom of the page.
Here’s what you’ll need to make this delicious spread:
- Bartlett pears
- lemon juice
- granulated sugar
- cinnamon
- ground ginger
- allspice
- ground mace
- ground coriander
- salt
- water
🥣 Equipment
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- stick blender or food processor
- large pot
- canning equipment (if you choose to process in a boiling water bath)
🍴Instructions
Step One: prep the pears
Peel, core, and slice the pears. You’ll need about 3 pounds of pears to yield 3 half-pints of pear butter.
Step Two: cook all ingredients
Stir all the ingredients together in a large pot or dutch oven. Bring it to a boil over medium-high heat. Then, reduce the heat to medium-low and cover it. Let it simmer for about 50 minutes. Occasionally stir, so it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot.
Step three: blend
Once the mixture has been reduced and thickened, remove it from the heat and blend it using an immersion blender until it is smooth. (You can also transfer the mixture to a blender or food processor.)
Step Four: store
Transfer the pear butter to canning jars or airtight containers with a spoon or ladle. Put lids on and let it cool to room temperature on the counter. Then put it in the fridge or freezer or water bath can. Store.
🥫 Storage instructions
Once the butter has cooled to room temperature, store it in the fridge for up to a week. You can also freeze it (right in the mason jars, just leave a little room) for 4-6 months.
If you choose to can your pear butter, it will keep for up to a year. Read more about how to water bath can for beginner tips, instructions, and safety.
🔍 FAQs
Yes, they’ll work as long as they are ripe and soft. But most “typical” grocery store pears are Bartlett, which are the easiest to find.
You can, but it’s not recommended if you’re canning the finished product. You want it piping hot when you ladle it into the jars, and the slow cooker doesn’t get it bubbling enough.
If you’re freezing it, the slow cooker is a great choice.
👩🏻🍳 Expert tips
- For a bit of change in flavor, try adding a vanilla bean or teaspoon of orange zest with the other ingredients. It makes it taste warmer and wintery.
- If you are missing one or two of the spices listed, it’s not the end of the world. Add a little more cinnamon to make up for it.
- Be careful if you use a blender with the pear mixture. It’s hot!
📘 Related Recipes
- Old Fashioned Apple Butter Recipe
- Triple Berry Jam
- Blackberry Jam
- Sweet and Spicy Cowboy Candy
- Classic Dill Relish
🍽 Serve it with
- Homemade biscuits, of course! This recipe is easy as can be.
- You’ll love this white farmhouse loaf if you’re more of a toast person. It’s hearty and delicious.
- Need a good pancake recipe? These sourdough discard pancakes would be delicious with a little pear flavor added.
📖 Here’s the recipe
Homemade Pear Butter
Equipment
- ½ pint mason jars
- Waterbath canning equipment optional
Ingredients
- 3 pounds bartlett pears Peeled, Cored and Sliced
- ¼ cup lemon juice use bottled if canning
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon allspice
- ¼ teaspoon ground mace
- ¼ teaspoon ground coriander
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup water
Instructions
- Cook all ingredients. In a large pot or dutch oven, stir all the ingredients together and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for about 50 minutes. Cover so that the lid is still slightly opened and stir occasionally.
- Blend. Once reduced and thickened, remove from the heat and blend using an immersion blender until smooth. ( You can also transfer the mixture to a blender or food processor)
- Store. Using a spoon or ladle, transfer the pear butter to canning jars or other airtight container, put lids on, and let cool to room temperature on the counter. Place in the fridge or freezer, or waterbath can.
