Vanilla Pear Butter Food

PEAR BUTTER RECIPE

Steps:

• Place pears, sugar, all spice and nutmeg into slow cooker and mix. Turn on high and cook for 4 -5 hours, until pear pieces are very soft. Once cooked, cool enough to mix with immersion blender, or pour into regular blender. Blend to desired texture. Add vanilla and lemon juice. Mix thoroughly. Pour into jars to store in fridge or freezer.

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.

VANILLA POACHED PEARS

Steps:

• Place the white wine, water, sugar and vanilla bean and pulp into a 4-quart saucepan over medium-high heat and bring to a boil.
• Core the pears from the bottom. Decrease the heat to medium low and place the pears into the liquid, cover and cook for 30 minutes or until the pears are tender but not falling apart. Maintain a gentle simmer. Remove the pears to a serving dish, standing them upright, and place in the refrigerator.
• Remove the vanilla bean from the saucepan, increase the heat to high and reduce the syrup to approximately 1 cup of liquid, approximately 20 to 25 minutes. Do not allow the syrup to turn brown. Place the syrup in a heatproof container and place in the refrigerator until cool, approximately 1 hour.
• Remove the pears from the refrigerator, spoon the sauce over the pears and serve.

VANILLA PEAR BUTTER

Steps:

• Drain pears, reserving 1/2 cup syrup; combine pears and syrup in small saucepan along with vanilla extract. Simmer mixture gently for 15 minutes, or until pears are tender. Remove pan from heat. Using a fork or potato masher, mash pears.

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.

PEAR CRISPS WITH VANILLA BROWN BUTTER

Steps:

• Make topping:
• Pulse together flour, almonds, brown sugar, and salt in a food processor until nuts are finely chopped. Add butter and pulse just until blended. Coarsely crumble in a shallow baking pan and chill at least 1 hour.
• Make filling and bake crisps:
• Preheat oven to 425°F with rack in middle.
• Scrape seeds from vanilla bean into a small heavy saucepan, then add pod and butter and cook over medium-low heat, swirling pan occasionally, until butter is browned and fragrant, about 4 minutes.
• While butter browns, stir together sugars, flour, and a pinch of salt in a large bowl. Add pears and brandy and toss to combine.
• Discard vanilla pod, then toss butter with pear mixture. Spoon filling into gratin dishes and sprinkle with topping, mounding it slightly in centers. Put in a shallow baking pan and bake 30 minutes, then rotate baking sheet and bake until topping is golden brown and filling is bubbling, 10 to 15 minutes more. Cool to warm or room temperature on a rack.

PEAR BUTTER

Steps:

• Wash 8-10 pint jars in hot soapy water or in dish washer.
• Keep hot until needed.
• Prepare lids as manufacturer directs.
• Place in a 6-quart pot.
• Pour orange juice over fruit.
• Stir in orange peel, sugar, spices and seed of vanilla bean.
• Use a hand blender if need be to get a nice smooth puree.
• Stirring constantly over medium heat, bring to a boil.
• Ladle into hot jars 1 at a time, leaving 1/4 inch headspace.
• Release trapped air.
• Wipe rim of jars with a clean damp cloth.
• Attach lid.
• Place in canner.
• Process in a boiling-water bath.
• For 15 minutes.