Fruits & Vegetables - Preserving the Harvest

How to Make the Best Pear Jam

homemade jam

Make the Best Pear Jam!

If you have a bumper crop of pears from your own home orchard you can use them to make a delicious batch of pear jam! Or maybe there is a great deal on fresh pears at the farmers market or grocery store and you’d like to preserve some for the winter. This recipe is delicious, has a lot less sugar than most jams, and you can even make an extra batch to share with friends and family!

I enjoy making a variety of different jams and jellies for stocking up our pantry and gift-giving during the holidays. Pears are an easy fruit to raise at home and purchasing them is fairly inexpensive, so you can create this tasty spread without breaking the bank. Start by growing and harvesting the best pears for your kitchen.

Pear Jam Sweetened with Fruit Juice

If you would like to make your own jams and jellies with less sugar, I highly recommend the Ball’s RealFruit Low or No-Sugar Needed Pectin (#ad). You won’t miss the heaps of sugar one bit because the concentrated fruit juice adds just enough sweetness to satisfy your tastebuds without causing sugar overload. If you like to make large batches of low or no-sugar jam, you might want to try bulk pectin #ad) to save some cash.

Not a big fan of fruit juice-sweetened jam? You can add up to 1 1/2 cups of sugar to this recipe for a sweeter flavor. You’ll need one or two extra jelly jars for canning because the sugar will increase the amount of finished jam.

Not interested in canning your homemade pear jam? It really isn’t difficult to do but if you prefer, this jam can also be ladled into BPA-free containers and stored in the freezer until you’re ready to enjoy it. Super easy!

What if I Don’t Have Low or No-Sugar Pectin?

If you don’t have any low or no-sugar-needed pectin, you can use any brand of pectin you like. Just follow the instructions that come with the box to ensure the best jam or jelly set. Since other pectin products may be formulated differently, I can’t promise that reducing the sugar will give your jam or jelly a good consistency.

Here are the complete instructions for making your own pear jam with fruit juice in place of sugar…

pear jam

Pear Jam Sweetened with Fruit Juice

Lisa Lombardo
This delicious pear jam is made without any refined sugar, just the natural goodness of fruit juice!
Course Condiment

Equipment

  • water bath canner
  • Half-pint jelly jars, screw bands, and lids
  • Large stainless steel saucepan
  • Canning funnel and jar lifter

Ingredients
  

  • 6 cups pears peeled, cored, and chopped
  • 1 cup fruit juice concentrate apple or white grape
  • 3 tbsp lemon juice bottled
  • 4 1/2 tbsp Ball's RealFruit Low or No-Sugar Needed Pectin
  • 1 tsp butter or margarine, optional to reduce foam

Instructions
 

  • Fill a water bath canner or large pot with enough water so that jelly jars are covered with 2" of water. Place a canning rack for jelly jars in the bottom of the pot and bring to a boil while you prepare the jars and jam.
  • Thoroughly wash six half-pint jelly jars and screw bands. Cover with hot water while you prepare the jam for canning. Prepare the canning lids according to the manufacturer's directions.
  • Peel, core, and chop firm, ripe pears, and toss with the lemon juice to prevent browning. Measure the ingredients.
  • Place the pears with lemon juice and the fruit juice concentrate in a large stainless steel saucepan. Slowly stir in the pectin to prevent lumps. Add the butter or margarine, if desired, to reduce foaming.
  • Bring pear mixture to a full, rolling boil on a medium-high burner. Boil hard for 1 minute, then ladle into clean, hot jars using a canning funnel to reduce spills. Leave 1/4" headspace.
  • Wipe rims of jars, place canning lids on jars, then screw on bands until finger tight.
  • Use a jar lifter to place jars into the boiling water bath. The water level should be 2" higher than the tops of the jelly jars for proper canning. Add boiling water if needed. Place the lid on the canner and return the water to a steady boil.
  • Begin processing time when the water has come to a boil. Process jam for 10 minutes at an elevation of up to 1000 ft. Increase processing time to 15 minutes for 1001 – 3000 ft, 20 minutes for 3001 to 6000 ft, 25 minutes for 6001 to 8000 ft, and 30 minutes for 8001+ ft.
  • When the processing time is up, turn the heat off, remove the lid, and allow the canner to cool for 5 minutes. Remove the jars from the canner with a jar lifter and set on a dishtowel on the counter to cool.
  • After 24 hours, check the lids for a proper seal. The canning lids should not flex up and down when pressed in the center. If a jar has not sealed properly, refrigerate the jam and use up in 2 weeks.
  • Remove the screw bands and wash the jars to remove any jam that may have leaked during processing. Lable the jars and store in a cool dry place. Use within 1 to 2 years for best results.

Notes

To make this recipe for pear jam with some sugar, you may replace the fruit juice concentrate with water or reconstituted fruit juice and add up to 1 1/2 cups of refined sugar.
Follow the instructions above, but after bringing the pears, juice or water, and pectin to a boil, you will add the sugar all at once and stir. Return the mixture to a full boil and boil for one minute, then turn off the heat and continue with the instructions for canning. 
Be sure to wash one or two extra jelly jars to accommodate the larger amount of jam.
DIY Gifts and Cards from the Homestead
Make a variety of jams and jellies for gift-giving this year!

Make Homemade Pear Jam for Gifts!

Are you tired of spending a fortune on gifts for the holidays? Do you want to create some homemade hostess gifts for foodies or anyone with a sweet tooth? I love making extra preserves over the summer and autumn for just this purpose.

Try dressing up a few jars of your preserves with a pretty fabric topper or ribbon. Add them to a basket with a mason jar of homemade muffin mix or pancake mix for a thoughtful gift!

Try using your homemade jams and jellies to make delicious cookies!

Delicious and Inexpensive Pear Jam

Homemade pear jam tastes so much better than store-bought that everyone will rave over your delicious preserves! If you’ve never made your own jam from scratch, you might not know just what you’re missing.

You can also save a lot of money by making a few batches of your own specialty jams for spreading on toast or giving to friends and family as gifts.

I grew up on homemade goodies like this and I almost never buy jam or jelly from the store. It’s just not the same!

Do you make your own jams sweetened with fruit juice? Leave a comment!

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4 Comments on “How to Make the Best Pear Jam

  1. My daughter has pear trees in her yard and this year, I canned pears for the first time. Next year, I would like to try making pear jam. As I read through your post, the one question I have is, how small do I chop the pears? Thanks for this recipe!

    1. Hi Tiffany,
      I cut them into chunks about 1″ x 1″… they do cook down so you may not need to chop them quite as small as I did. I hope you enjoy the pear jam this year!
      Thanks for stopping by!

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