Canning Pears

 

When the harvest season rolls around, pears often ripen faster than we can eat them.  A basketful one day can quickly turn into an overflowing counter the next. 

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Instead of watching your hard-earned harvest spoil, canning pears is a wonderful way to preserve their sweetness and enjoy them all year long.

Canning pears is surprisingly simple, even for beginners.  With just a little research, you can be canning like a pro in no time.

VIDEO:  Home Canned Pears

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Selecting the Best Pears

Choose pears that are ripe but still firm.  Overripe fruit can become mushy, while underripe pears lack the flavor you want.  Bartlett pears are always a good choice for canning.

Preparing the Pears

Wash your pears, peel them and cut into quarters.  Be sure to remove the core for smooth, ready-to-eat slices.

Adding the Right Sweetener

Prepare a light to medium syrup for your pears.  Use a ration of 2 cups of water for every 1 cup of sugar.  Boil the syrup until the sugar is dissolved.  Then pour it over the pears in jars to help enhance their flavor and preserve their color.

Choosing the Right Canning Method

A boiling water bath canner is all you'll need for perfectly canned pears.  It's reliable, beginner friendly and gives safe, shelf-stable results.

Properly Preparing Jars

Use clean, sterilized jars.  Pack pears snugly, cover with syrup, remove air bubbles and wipe rims.  

Seal with lids and rings and process in the water bath canner for 20 minutes for pints and 25 minutes for quarts altitudes under 1000 ft. Follow USDA instructions for canning according to your area.

With a little preparation, you'll fill your pantry shelves with jars of pears that keep the taste of harvest alive all year long.

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