Spiced Pear Butter Food

HOMEMADE SPICED PEAR BUTTER

Steps:

• Peel and dice pears.
• Place pears, lemon juice, maple syrup, brown sugar, ginger slice, nutmeg, and salt in a medium sized saucepan over medium high heat- bring to a boil.
• Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 30 minutes with a lid, slightly ajar.
• Remove fresh ginger slice and use an immersion blender, or mash by hand, simmer an additional 10 minutes.
• Transfer mixture to a jar with a tight fitting lid and store for up to 2 weeks.

VANILLA SPICED PEAR BUTTER

Steps:

• In a large stainless steel saucepan, combine the pears, water, lemon zest and juice.
• Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat and boil gently, occasionally stirring, for 20 minutes.
• Working in batches, transfer mixture to a food processor fitted with a metal blade and puree just until a uniform texture is achieved. Do not liquefy. Alternatively, you may use an immersion blender.
• Measure 8 cups of pear puree (I used the excess as Pear Sauce).
• In a clean large stainless steel saucepan, combine pear puree, sugar, orange juice, vanilla, cinnamon, cardamom, and nutmeg.
• Stir until sugar dissolves.
• Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring frequently. Reduce heat and boil gently, stirring frequently, until mixture thickens and holds it shape to a spoon and liquid does not separate. This will take 6-8 hours.
• Meanwhile, prepare canner, jars and lids:
• Wash and rinse the jars in hot soapy water. Drain the jars well of any excess water.
• Set the screw bands aside - they don't require sterilizing. Place the lids - the flat round portion of the two-piece closures - in a small saucepan, cover with water and bring to a simmer. Don't boil.
• Keep lids hot until you're ready to use them.
• Ladle hot butter into hot jars, leaving 1/4 inch head-space.
• Remove air bubbles and adjust head-space, if needed, but adding more butter. Wipe rim.
• Center the lid on jar and screw band down until resistance is med, then increase to fingertip tight.
• Place jars in canner, ensuring they are completely covered with water. Bring to a boil and process for 10 minutes.
• Remove canner lid. Wait 5 minutes, then remove jars, cool and store.

SPICED PEAR BUTTER

Steps:

• Combine pears, wine and lemon juice in heavy large saucepan. Cover and simmer until pears are soft, pushing unsubmerged pears into liquid occasionally, about 25 minutes. Force through food mill or coarse sieve to remove pear peel. Transfer to processor and puree.
• Return puree to heavy large sauce-pan. Add remaining ingredients. Stir over low heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to medium and boil gently until mixture thickens and mounds slightly on spoon stirring often, about 50 minutes.
• Discard fruit slices, cloves, vanilla and cinnamon. Spoon butter into hot canning jar, filling only to 1/4 inch form top. Immediately wipe rim, using towel dipped into hot water. Place lid on jar; seal tightly. Repeat with remaining jars.
• Arrange jars in large pot. Add boiling water to pot so that at least 1 inch of water covers tops of jars. Cover pot and boil rapidly 15 minutes. Remove jars from pot. Cool to room temperature. Press center of each lid. If lid stays down, jar is sealed. (If lid pops up, store butter in refrigerator.) Store in cool dry place up to 1 year. Refrigerate after opening.

SPICED PEAR BUTTER

Steps:

• Combine pears and apple juice in a large Dutch oven.
• Tie broken cinnamon spices, gingerroot, allspice and cloves in a piece of cheese cloth; add to pear mixture. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until pears are tender.
• Drain pears, and discard spice bag.
• Mash pears or process in food processor until smooth.
• Return pear puree to Dutch oven, and add sugar.
• Cook, uncovered, over medium heat for 30 to 40 minutes or until mixture thickens, stirring frequently.
• Remove from heat, and quickly pour hot pear mixture into hot sterilized jars, leaving 1/4-inch headspace; wipe jar rims.
• Cover at once with metal lids, and screw on bands.
• Process in boiling water bath for 5 minutes.

CARAMEL SPICE PEAR BUTTER

Steps:

• Wash the pears but do not peel or core them; slice pears into a heavy saucepan (at least 5-quart size).
• Add water, cover, and cook until tender (about 30 minutes).
• Remove from heat and press the pears through a colander or a food mill.
• Measure the pear pulp (you should have about 8 cups) and return to the pan.
• Using a frying pan, heat 1 1/2 cups of the sugar, stirring until it melts and caramelizes to a medium brown color.
• Pour immediately into the pear pulp (the syrup will sizzle and harden, but dissolve again as the preserves cook).
• Add the remaining sugar, cloves, cinnamon, and ginger.
• Cook uncovered, until thick (about 45 minutes).
• Stir frequently as it begins to thicken to prevent it from sticking.
• Stir in lemon juice just before removing it from heat.
• Pour hot mixture into steralized 1/2 pint jars, put on lid, and crew band tightly.
• Process in boiling water bath for 15 minutes.

SLOW-COOKER PEAR BUTTER

Steps:

• Place spices on a double thickness of cheesecloth. Gather corners of cloth to enclose spices; tie securely with string. In a 5- or 6-qt. slow cooker, toss remaining ingredients. Add spice bag, covering with pears., Cook, covered, on low 5-6 hours or until pears are tender. Remove spice bag., Puree pear mixture using an immersion blender. Or, cool slightly and puree mixture in a blender in batches; return to slow cooker., Cook, uncovered, on high 1-2 hours or until mixture is thickened to desired consistency, stirring occasionally. Store cooled pear butter in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 1 week. Freeze option: Freeze cooled pear butter in freezer containers up to 3 months. Liquids expand as they freeze, so leave extra room at the top of the freezer container. To use, thaw in refrigerator.

MOM'S SPICED PEAR BREAD

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease two 8x5x3-inch loaf pans.
• Combine flour, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, cloves, ginger, baking soda, salt, and baking powder in a large mixing bowl.
• Combine pears, brown sugar, raisins, vegetable oil, white sugar, apple cider, eggs, and vanilla in a separate bowl; blend well. Add to dry ingredients and stir just until moistened. Pour batter evenly into the prepared loaf pans.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center of each loaf comes out clean, 65 to 70 minutes. Cool in the loaf pans before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

SPICED PEAR JAM

Steps:

• In a Dutch oven, combine all ingredients. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, until thick, 1-1/2 to 2 hours, stirring occasionally. Stir more frequently as the mixture thickens. , Remove from the heat; skim off foam. Carefully ladle into hot half-pint jars, leaving 1/4-in. headspace. Remove air bubbles; wipe rims and adjust lids. Process for 10 minutes in a boiling-water canner.