Pear-Vanilla Jam
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.
- Prepare boiling water canner. Heat jars in simmering water until ready for use. Wash lids and bands and set aside.
- 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 (marmalade/jam/jelly), leaving ¼ inch of headspace. Remove trapped air bubbles, wipe rims 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 1-2 inches of water). Place the lid on the canner, bring 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 12-24 hours. Then, confirm that jars have sealed, then store properly. Eat within 1 year. Lasts 3 weeks once opened.
I have been using pomona’s for 18+ years love it. I had a ton of Bartlett pears from my tree and tried this recipe. I pretty much followed it, but used 2/3 cup of maple syrup and 1 and half teaspoons of vanilla paste, a little cinnamon and dash of nutmeg. So yummy I think it would be good on a cheese plater to. You can change up the spices to your liking. I did use an immersion blender next time I would leave more pear chunks. Maybe stick with the potato masher.
Could I safely add minced fresh ginger and/or rosemary to this recipe?
Can I use pint jars for this recipe? Thanks!
You sure can. The processing time will be the same. The pint jars will need to be used within 3 weeks once opened.
Great recipe! If I want to use Stevia concentrate as the sweetener (1/4 tsp) in this recipe can I just add with the pectin, or should I instead blend the pectin with boiling water and add the pectin liquid and stevia separately?
That’s right, with Stevia concentrate, you would boil water and make liquid pectin. The directions to do this are on the instruction sheet.
If I use maple syrup, do I add the pectin to the syrup beforehand, as is done when using sugar? Thanks for the great comments section, it’s very useful.
Yes, that is exactly right!
Is this a tested recipe?
Hello Sue, this recipe is considered safe for water bath canning based on its pH level. Happy jamming!
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
We would actually recommend using 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon to this recipe.
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.)
Yum! Is peeling the pears necessary? Thank you!
You do not have to!
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.
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.
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.
Can I substitute xylitol for the sugar in this pear jam recipe, and if so, how much xylitol should I use?
You sure can! You will need to look for the conversion on your xylitol package.
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!
Can I add dried spices to this recipe?
Hello Michelle,
You can add 1 teaspoon of dried spices to this recipe 😊
Can honey be subbed for the sugar?
It sure can! You will use 1/2-1 cup of honey, maple syrup or agave.
Was this recipe tested in a lab kitchen to know that it is safe for canning?
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.
May I ask what purpose step #10 serves? To let the jars sit in hot water for 5 minutes after boiling before removing?
It helps to stop syphoning of the food. If you remove the jars too early, the contents tends to bubble out, impacting the seal.
Okay to sub peaches for pears?
Hello Kelly,
Yes, pears and peaches are a direct conversion. Happy jamming!
Can I reduce the amount of sugar to about 1/2 cup?
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!
Can you use vanilla extract in this recipe ?
Yes, you can use 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract in this recipe.
Happy jamming!