Pear-Vanilla Jam is a low-sugar cooked jam made with Pomona’s Universal Pectin. Pomona’s Pectin contains no sugar or preservatives and jells reliably with low amounts of any sweetener. This recipe was created by Allison Carroll Duffy for Pomona’s Pectin.Allison says: “Autumn is putting us through our paces this year. . . . All I really care about right now is making food that’s nourishing, delicious, and simple. Fortunately, this delicious jam fits the bill perfectly. Enjoy!”
Servings 5 cups
Ingredients
- 3¼ pounds ripe pears
- 1 vanilla bean
- ¼ cup lemon juice bottled
- 4 teaspoons calcium water see step #1
- 1 cup sugar
- 3 teaspoons Pomona’s Universal Pectin mixed with sweetener
Instructions
- Before you begin, prepare calcium water.To do this, combine ½ teaspoon calcium powder (in the small packet in your box of Pomona’s pectin) with ½ cup water in a small, clear jar with a lid. Shake well.Extra calcium water should be stored in the refrigerator for future use.
- Wash and rinse jars, lids, and screw bands. Set screw bands aside until ready to use. Place jars in boiling water bath canner with a rack, fill at least 2/3 of the way full with water, and bring to a boil. Boil jars for 10 minutes to sterilize (add 1 additional minute of sterilizing time for every 1000 feet above sea level), then turn down heat and let jars stand in hot water until ready to use. Place lids in water in a small pan, bring to a low simmer, and hold there until ready to use.
- Peel pears and remove cores. Then, place pears in a large bowl and mash them thoroughly (a potato masher works well for this).
- Measure out 4 cups of the mashed pear (you may have some left over; if so, you can use it for something else.) Pour the measured amount of mashed pear into a large sauce pan.
- Slice vanilla bean pod in half lengthwise, then scrape out the seeds (a paring knife works well for this). Add the vanilla seeds, along with the pod itself, to the mashed pear. Add the lemon juice and calcium water, then stir to combine.
- In a separate bowl, combine the sugar and pectin powder. Mix well and set aside.
- Bring the pear mixture up to rolling boil over high heat. Add sugar-pectin mixture, then stir vigorously for 1 to 2 minutes, still over the highest heat, to dissolve pectin. Return jam to a boil, then remove from heat. Using a pair of tongs, carefully remove and discard the vanilla bean pod.
- Remove hot jars from canner and fill jars with jam, leaving ¼ inch of headspace. Remove trapped air bubbles, wipe rims with a damp cloth, and put on lids and screw bands, tightening bands only to “fingertip tight” (until resistance is met, and then just the tiniest bit more).
- Place jars in the hot water, on the rack inside the canner. (Make sure jars are upright, not touching each other or the sides of the canner, and are covered with at least 1 to 2 inches of water). Place the lid on the canner, return the canner to a rolling boil, and boil for 10 minutes. (Add 1 minute additional processing time for every 1000 feet above sea level.)
- Turn off heat and allow canner and jars to sit for 5 minutes. Then, remove jars from canner.
- Allow jars to cool undisturbed for 12 to 24 hours. Then confirm that jars have sealed. Remove screw bands from sealed jars, rinse off outside of jars if necessary, label jars, and store for later use.
Cristina
I would love to incorporate cinnamon into the flavor. How many cinnamon sticks would you say would be good for this recipe and at what point would I add and remove them? Thank you
Shelby Collings
We would actually recommend using 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon to this recipe.
Marsha
This is an incredibly delicious jam! I had no idea what to expect from a pear jam, but this is now in my regular yearly rotation. The only change I made was to dice the pears instead of mashing them. It’s more time consuming, but I really like the consistency better. It really is something special and perfection in a jar! (I also use the pear peels and cores to make this as a jelly.)
Kathryn
Yum! Is peeling the pears necessary? Thank you!
Shelby Collings
You do not have to!
Kim V.
I’ve canned this for 2 years now using maple syrup. It’s absolutely delicious! Everyone I’ve given it to also raves about it.
Ben
This sounds divine but I really like a softer set to my jams. Can I safely reduce the pectin in the recipe? Any recommendations would be appreciated.
Shelby Collings
We do too! Yes, you safely reduce the pectin in our recipes. We would recommend using 2 teaspoons of Pomona’s Pectin in this recipe.
Ruth
Can I substitute xylitol for the sugar in this pear jam recipe, and if so, how much xylitol should I use?
Shelby Collings
You sure can! You will need to look for the conversion on your xylitol package.
Tomi
This recipe is so incredible. I used perfectly ripe (sweet) Bartlett pears with only half the sugar and the recommended conversion of pure vanilla extract (since I could NOT find my beans! LOL). The flavor is so amazing I hate to put the jam on anything that can take away from the taste! This is my first year ‘jamming’ though I’ve canned other things. Jars of Pamona’s peach and pear jams now line my shelves. Thanks for a great product with great directions!
Michelle
Can I add dried spices to this recipe?
Shelby Collings
Hello Michelle,
You can add 1 teaspoon of dried spices to this recipe 😊
Lisa
Can honey be subbed for the sugar?
Shelby Collings
It sure can! You will use 1/2-1 cup of honey, maple syrup or agave.
Judy
Was this recipe tested in a lab kitchen to know that it is safe for canning?
Shelby Collings
Hello Judy,
Our recipes have not been tested in a lab. We, along with our Master Food Preservers, develop our recipes based on safe canning practices, but we do not offer any certifications/lab tested backing to any of our recipes.
We only provide the recipes as a fun starting point for home canners using our pectin. The lemon juice/vinegar is present and calculated to balance the pH of the our recipes, to allow them to be safe for water-bath canning.
Greg Lum
May I ask what purpose step #10 serves? To let the jars sit in hot water for 5 minutes after boiling before removing?
Linda
It helps to stop syphoning of the food. If you remove the jars too early, the contents tends to bubble out, impacting the seal.
Kelly
Okay to sub peaches for pears?
Shelby Collings
Hello Kelly,
Yes, pears and peaches are a direct conversion. Happy jamming!
Nina
Can I reduce the amount of sugar to about 1/2 cup?
Shelby Collings
Hello Nina,
You sure can, just be sure that the pectin is really well dispersed in that 1/2 cup of sugar and that you add it gradually to your hot fruit, stirring and dissolving between each addition until it is all incorporated.
Happy jamming!
Jolee
Can you use vanilla extract in this recipe ?
Shelby Collings
Yes, you can use 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract in this recipe.
Happy jamming!