Ma maw's Old Fashioned Pear Preserves

An Old Fashioned pear preserve recipe made with fresh pears, thinly sliced lemon and lots of sugar. Pear preserves are the perfect recipe if you have an abundance of fresh pears.  
Happy Wednesday friends!!  Today I have a delicious old fashioned Pear Preserve recipe to share with you. Canning and preserving is one of my favorite things do at the end of the growing season. Sometimes it can be a bit overwhelming when everything is harvested at or around the same time, but I always seem to get it all done.  

I love making jam, jelliespickles, fruit butters, tomato relish , squash relish and pear honey, so I can continue to enjoy my seasonal harvest all year long.  This delicious pear preserves recipe was passed down to me from my aunt which her mother passed down to her. I enjoyed these delicious preserves years ago and I'm so thankful to finally have the recipe.     

This was my first time preparing and canning pear preserves and they turned out wonderful. If you've never had pear preserves it's like eating little pieces of warm pear candy and they're wonderful served on toast and hot homemade biscuitsThis recipe requires you to use pears that are more on the unripe side as they hold their shape and won't fall apart, but no worries because the pears will soften as they cook.


I used Kieffer pears that my neighbor had given me off of their pear tree. Hopefully my pear trees will start producing in a year or so and then I can have my own pears to can. This preserve recipe is simple to make and only calls for a handful of ingredients pears, lemon, lots of sugar, time and patience. It takes a while to make these preserves, but the end result yields delicious, slow cooked, sweet preserves! I hope you and your family enjoy our family does. 

Wash, peel, core and slice pears, I used my apple peeler and it works wonderful and slices the pears as well. 

Add 2 quarts of sliced pears to a large stainless steel pot and add 1  1/2 cups of sugar. Keep adding the pears in 2 quart quantities along with 1  1/2 cups sugar until all of the slices pears have been added.  Add the sliced lemons and put the lid on top of the pear mixture. Let the pears sit overnight (at room temperature) about 12 hours. The sugar will pull the juice from the pears and in the morning you will have pear slices in syrup, ready to cook into preserves. 

The next day the sugar will have melted and the pears and lemon slices will be floating in a sweet syrup. 

Bring the pear mixture to a good boil (do not remove the lemon slices), reduce heat to a medium simmer and let the mixture cook until the pears are very tender and translucent. You will be cooking the pears (uncovered) for about 3 hours, so stir the pear mixture occasionally.  

Cook the pears until they start to take on an amber color. 


Remove pears from the heat and if the syrup has not thickened as desired, add a 2 - 3 tablespoons of powder pectin, stir and return to heat to thicken a bit.  

Fill hot, sterilized pint size jars with the pear mixture (pack well) making sure to leave a 1/2 inch head space. 

Add a clean, sterilized lid and ring and secure. Process pints in a hot water bath canner for 15 minutes. Remove jars and place on a towel on the counter. You should hear the jars pop within 30-40 minutes which means the jars are sealed. 

Cool jars completely and leave on the counter undisturbed for 24 hours before storing in a cool, dry pantry. Store for up to one year.

Serve on toast, biscuits or scones. 




Yield: 7 -8 Pint Size Jars
Author: Tina Butler | Mommy's Kitchen
Ma Maw's Old Fashioned Pear Preserves

Ma Maw's Old Fashioned Pear Preserves

An Old Fashioned pear preserve recipe made with fresh pears, thinly sliced lemon and lots of sugar. Pear preserves are the perfect recipe if you have an abundance of fresh pears.
Prep time: 12 H & 30 MCook time: 3 H & 30 MTotal time: 16 Hour

Ingredients

  • 6 - 8 quarts pears, peeled and sliced thin (24 - 32 cups of pears)
  • 2 - lemons (thinly sliced, seeds removed)
  • sugar - lots of it  (1 1/2 cups of sugar for every 2 quarts of sliced pears)
  • 2 - 3 tablespoons sure gel powder pectin (only if needed)

Instructions

  1. Wash, peel, core and slice pears, I used my apple peeler. Add 2 quarts of sliced pears to a large stainless steel pot and add 1 1/2 cups of sugar.
  2. Keep adding the pears in 2 quart quantities along with 1 1/2 cups sugar (1 1/2 cup sugar to each 2 quarts of pears) until all of the slices pears have been added. Add the sliced lemon and put the lid on top of the pear mixture.
  3. Let the pears sit overnight (at room temperature) about 12 hours. After 12 hours the sugar will melt and the pears and lemon slices will be floating in sweet syrup.
  4. Bring the mixture to a boil (do not remove the lemon slices), reduce heat to a medium simmer and let the pear mixture cook (uncovered) until the pears are very tender and translucent. You will be cooking the pears for about 3 hours, so stir the pear mixture occasionally.
  5. Cook the pears until they start to take on an amber color. Remove pears from the heat and if the syrup has not thickened as desired, add a 2 - 3 tablespoons of powder pectin, stir and return to heat to thicken a bit.
  6. Fill hot, sterilized pint size jars with the pear mixture (pack well) making sure to leave a 1/2 inch head space.
  7. Add a clean, sterilized lid and ring and secure. Process pints in a hot water bath canner for 15 minutes. Remove jars and place on a towel on the counter.
  8. You should hear the jars pop within 30-40 minutes which means the jars are sealed.
  9. Cool jars completely and leave on the counter undisturbed for 24 hours.
  10. Store jars for up to one year in a cool, dry pantry. 

Notes:

Several people have asked or commented asking if you have to add the lemons to this recipe. The answer is yes and no. If the lemons themselves are the issue they can be omitted, but you will need to add lemon juice to the recipe (about 2 - 3 tablespoons). Lemon juice is crucial for preserve set up, safe canning and to prevent the growth of bacteria.

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40 comments

Yummy! Makes me hungry😊
Thank you bunches for sharing this recipe. It looks exactly like what I've been looking for....YUMMMMM
Tina Butler said…
I hope you enjoy the preserves! They're so delicious.
Leslie said…
Looks delicious! What is the reasoning for letting it sit overnight?
Tina Butler said…
The sugar pulls the juice from the pears and in the morning you will have pear slices in syrup, ready to cook into preserves.
Unknown said…
If 12 hours sitting is minimum, what would be the max?
Tina Butler said…
12 hours is usually sufficient time for the sugar to dissolve and form into a liquid.
Unknown said…
What would happen if the pears sit longer than 12 hours ?
Tina Butler said…
I think the pears would be fine if they sat a little over 12 hours. I wouldn't do more than 15. Letting the pears sit helps the sugar dissolve into the pears and lemon slices. That is really all that needs to be done. You just want to blend the flavors together.
Unknown said…
Do you remove the lemon slices at some point?
Ajidulce said…
I heard a comment about the syrup hardening after cooling. There is a lot of variation between cooking two, or three hours. If I use a thermometer as it’s simmering, do I want to cook it to softball stage or less?
Tina Butler said…
You will leave the lemon slices in with the pears.

I have never had an issue of the syrup hardening after cooking or canning. The pears are just cooking until the syrup starts to thicken up. I don't know what stage that is, because this recipe is from my grandmother, so it does not mention it in the recipe. Sometimes it thickens up on it's own and sometimes you need to add a little powdered pectin, but the sugar never hardens.
Unknown said…
How do you measure 6-8 quarts of pears, peeled and sliced thin? Is that how many will fit into two quart jars?
Snoop’s Moms said…
Hi, I read the comment about leaving the lemon in the pot while you simmer the pears. Do you can the lemons in the jars with the pears?
Tina Butler said…
I measure in cups. 4 cups is equal to 1 quart. So you would need 24-32 cups of slices pears. If you have the recipe you would only need 12-16 cups.

@snoop's Mom, don't remove the lemon slices.
Unknown said…
Do you have to have lemons?
Tina Butler said…
You can omit the Lemons if the Lemon itself is the issue, but you will need to add lemon juice to the recipe (about 2 - 3 tablespoons). The lemon juice is crucial for preserve set up, safe canning and to prevent the growth of bacteria.
Unknown said…
Do you sell them already canned?
Annie 123 said…
I used this recipe to make my pear preserves last fall. We have enjoyed them all winter. My family loved the lemon slices. My favorite way to use them was to spread a little butter, cream cheese and pear preserves on the middles section of a piece of Puff Pastry, slice the side pieces of the Puff Pastry diagonally and then used to cover the pear preserves. Absolutely delicious.


Tina Butler said…
@Annie
I love the lemon slices too!!! I will have to try the cream cheese and preserves. That sounds so delicious.
KW16 said…
Can you tell me what the texture of the pears should be like? Thank you.
Unknown said…
This is a good recipe! I am a grandma from Texas and this is very similar to my great Aunt Elsie's recipe, hers just said peal and slice pears in small pieces and cover in sugar and shake down, let sit overnight and cook until syrup is thick and honey colored! not much information but I just use my instincts and it always turns out good. I'm glad to see another version that is very similar, I will try yours next time, a little more exact in measurements, thanks for posting this!
Texas Memaw
Anonymous said…
My husband and I picked about 16 gallons of pears earlier today and are using your recipe.
Anonymous said…
What to do if pear perserves is to thick
Anonymous said…
I’m not sure what the name of my pears are. They are not hard at all. Would the time I cook them change?
Unknown said…
I've got pears cut, sliced and cored. Using two stainless pots I've got about 35#'s of pears. Nwver made pear preserves but I take a new appreciation for those that made them and didn't have a apple peeler. That thing is wonderful. One pot I did yesterday and it's just like you said, the pears and lemons are floating in a syrup, time to cook that pot. The other pot will be ready about 7 tonight. I'll probable just wait till tomorrow morning to do those. Ran out of sugar or I would have done the other 15+ pounds. Got a 25# bag of sugar coming from Walmart this morning so I should have plenty to finish up.Probably go get more pears Wednesday. Love to fil all 24 pint yars.Thank you Tina Butler for the recipe. I'm following to the letter.
Unknown said…
Me again Vern! One thing I did is put the applie peeler on a full sheet tray and it caught all the peelings and cores. Made cleanup and easy task. Got my first batch on the stove cooking now. Can't wait to have some delicious pear preserves on my english muffins.
Unknown said…
One thing we noticed about the apple peeler is that it cuts the pears way too thin and by the time they're cooked they cook away to almost noting. Going to use it to peel the rest and cut them in to 1/2"thick pieces by hand. Take longer but thre will be pears in the syrup that you can pile on a biscuit or english muffin.
Unknown said…
We picked up and weighed 51#'s of pears off my cousins tree. I put up 21 pints of pear preserves according to Tina's recipe and it worked perfectly. My first time canning pears but I got tired of not having pear preserves to enjoy throughout the year so I made my own,
Anonymous said…
Has anybody experienced having too much of the thick syrup, I threw some of the excess syrup, I was thinking this is way too much sugar but regretted afterwards cause I might can use the syrup in another recipe.
Anonymous said…
Use apple Pealer to peal and slice pears so quick and easy
Tina Butler said…
I use an apple peeler, corer and slicer to skin and slice the pears. It is pictured above. I love using it for apples and pears.
Anonymous said…
My friend gave me some pears and I cooked 6 quarts. We had some for breakfast this morning so I am going to cook more to have plenty. They were perfect.
Anonymous said…
Quick question, do you slice 2 lemons for every 2 quarts of sliced pears? Thanks for this recipe!
Janeen McAbee said…
quick question. Do you use 2 lemons with a batch of 2 quarts of sliced pears and 1 1/2 cups of sugar? Wasn't sure if the 2 lemons were just for larger batches. I made this recipe two years ago and it was delicious. I had been looking for a recipe like this. I can remember my grandfather making a sandwich of one piece of bread and pear preserves. This recipe reminds me of him.
Thank you so much,
Janeen McAbee












































































Tina Butler said…
It is 2 lemons for the whole recipe.
Anonymous said…
Do you have to do the hot water bath? I made a batch and they all sealed so I didn’t do the bath.
Tina Butler said…
Yes you have to do the hot water bath if you want your preserves to be shelf and pantry stable. If not you must refrigerate all of the jars. To minimize the risk of food spoilage, all high-acid foods should be processed in a water bath canner or pressure canner and all low-acid foods in a pressure canner.
Punchy said…
This recipe is exactly what I was looking for. I don’t usually eat pears but I had a craving for some of my mom’s pear preserves
that she use to make years ago. I remember the lemons getting all sugary complimenting the pears. Your grandmothers recipe
looks exactly like my mom use to make. I have some on the stove simmering right now smelling so good in the house.
I’m looking forward to family coming home to the aroma of the pears simmering. Thank you so much for your Grandmother’s
recipe.
Anonymous said…
I use my mom's recipe which is 1 cup of pears to 3/4 cup of sugar. Let sit over night. I cook them until they are amber and the syrup is thick enough. i have never used lemon in my preserves and I make it a lot having my own tree. I also have never done the water bath. I have also never lost a jar to spoilage. I do though make sure my jars are boiled just prior to filling with hot preserves. I take the jars directly from the boiling water and fill them. I turn the jars upside down in boiling water take one out as needed. Not sure if that makes any difference but I feel they are truly sterilized prior to use. My family loves pear preserves on anything from toast, biscuits to ice cream. I may try the water bath this year as suggested. I am so glad to see people make things the old fashioned way.