We got a phone call Monday afternoon asking if we wanted any pears, the only catch was that we had to come harvest them. Well, that wasn't an issue for us at all. We soon had our buckets and were on the way ...
There were two trees loaded and it was the first picking from the trees.
With the owners urging we picked enough to preserve for ourselves and share with others.
Today, we started sharing and preserving. I canned 14 quarts with more to do tomorrow!
We feel so very blessed!
Here's how I canned the pears ...
peal and quarter the pears dropping them in a container of water to keep them from yellowing
while I'm pealing and quartering I sterilize jars in oven on 200 degrees for at least 20 minutes
prepare water bath canner for use, fill half full of water and get it on the stove
turn stove on and get water warm
wash lids
take sterilized jars out of the oven one at a time and fill with pears
add warm water to jar as soon as you add pears (I do not make a syrup, I use plain water instead)
remove any air bubbles that might be in the jar
clean rim of jar with vinegar
add lid and ring
place jar in water bath canner
continue filling jars and water bath canner until canner is full
make sure jars are covered with at least 1 inch of water above rim of jar rings
add lid to water bath canner
bring water to a boil
set timer for 25 minutes
adjust heat until you have a gentle rolling boil
when time is up, turn off stove and let canner sit for 5 minutes
remove jars and set in a draft free area to cool
let jars sit undisturbed for at least 12 hours
check that lids have sealed
remove rings
wash and clean jars
label and date
add to pantry shelf
I'd love to hear how you preserve pears!
patsi
She looketh well to the ways of her household … Proverbs 31:27
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Thanks so much for the step by step. I don’t can but wondered how it was done. Wow, a lot of work and attention to detail! I realize it is critical to do things correctly to keep the food safe. Very interesting.
ReplyDeleteTraveling Oltmans, thank you! I try to be very careful when canning, we eat what I preserve so it's important to do it safely and correctly.
DeleteI cannot stand a raw pears, but I love them canned. I found a pear tree on city property, picked 220 lbs in one picking and all by myself. I have a picker for reaching into the tree up high. I gave lots away, canned some myself, and made pear butter.
ReplyDeletePractical Parsimony, we like them canned too, we like to open a jar, drain them, add a little butter to a skillet and pan fry them ... Yum!
DeleteThat was an excellent description of the process of canning pears. I do mine differently but I will try your method as I want to reduce sugar use. I have been simmering my pears in a light syrup before bottling, adding a single whole clove to each jar. We love the subtle taste of the single clove. We will soon be gleaning wild apples. It's such a kick to bring in baskets of food that would otherwise be wasted.
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DeleteRita, we try to watch our sugar intake, that's why I can them in water. I like them your way too though!
Thank you for the details on how you can your pears. I run my jars through the dishwasher the night before I'm planning to can, and then set the empty jars in my sink as I begin my processing. I fill the canner about 1/3 of the way, and start heating the water. I'll sterilize my jars by filling them with boiling water from the tea kettle, emptying them into the water bath one at a time, as I'm ready to fill the jars. I add a little lemon juice to my bowl of water, and once my pears are peeled and quartered, they go into the bowl. I find that the lemon juice helps keep them whiter (and I do the same with peaches and apples). Once the jar is full, I top with a light syrup, warmed lid and ring, and set it on the raised canner rack. Once the rack is full, I'll drop it and start timing (water is usually boiling by that time). I'll continue filling jars, if needed, and set them aside to go into the next batch.
ReplyDeleteLori, your way is a good way too!
DeletePear Butter!!!! I love pear butter. That is my favorite way to preserve them.
ReplyDeleteGinger
Ginger, pear butter is pretty good, isn't it!!!
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