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Recipe Detail Page
Pear Cranberry Butter
Holiday 2018
Sweet pears cook down to a smooth spread accented with tangy cranberries in this easy make-ahead gift. It does take some time to make but if you can stir and monitor a boiling pot, you’ve got the skills to make pear butter. It’s equally good spread on toast or fresh biscuits as on a turkey sandwich. This version isn’t designed for water bath canning with room temperature storage, so it needs to be refrigerated, but it will keep several weeks. Decorate the jar with a ribbon and a tag (with a note that refrigeration is required, plus an enjoy-by date), wrap it in a new decorative tea towel and your gift is ready.
Makes about 4 cups (1 L)
3½ lbs (1.6 kg) Bartlett or Bosc pears, about 7 large
2 cups (500 mL) fresh or frozen cranberries
1¼ cups (310 mL) water
⅓ cup (80 mL) fresh lemon juice
1 cinnamon stick, 4 inches (10 cm).
¾ cup (175 mL) granulated sugar
⅛ tsp (0.5 mL) salt
1. Peel pears. Cut in half lengthwise and trim out cores and stems. Cut each half into 6 chunks.
2. Combine pears, cranberries, water, lemon juice and cinnamon stick in a large pot. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered and stirring occasionally, for about 1 hour or until pears are very soft. Let cool slightly.
3. Meanwhile, sterilize canning jars—about four 1-cup (250-mL) or eight ½-cup (125-mL)— and prepare 2-piece lids according to manufacturer’s directions. Place 2 plates in the freezer (to test pear butter for doneness).
4. Remove cinnamon stick and set aside. Press pear mixture through a food mill into a bowl, or set a coarse mesh strainer over bowl and use a stiff but flexible spatula to press pear mixture through strainer (see TIP). Discard any solids.
5. Return pear mixture and cinnamon stick to clean pot. Gradually stir in sugar and salt. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring often to dissolve sugar. Reduce heat and boil gently, stirring often and reducing heat further as mixture thickens, for about 1 hour or until thick enough to mound on a spoon. You’ll need to stir almost constantly near the end to prevent burning and sticking.
6. Remove from heat. To test for doneness, drop a tsp (5 mL) of pear butter on a chilled plate in a mound and place in the freezer for 1 minute. The mound should hold its shape and not spread at all when the butter is thickened enough (it will thicken slightly upon chilling).
7. If a very smooth texture is desired, use an immersion blender in the pot to purée until smooth.
8. Pack pear butter into prepared jars, removing air bubbles. Wipe rims, place lids on jars and screw on band just until fingertip-tight. Let jars cool on a rack to room temperature. Store in refrigerator for up to 1 month.
Makes about 4 cups (1 L)
TIP If you don’t have a food mill or coarse sieve, you can use an immersion blender, or transfer the pear mixture in batches to an upright blender, and purée until smooth. (The texture may be slightly more coarse with bits of skins, but still pleasant.)
