Pears!

Over the last few weeks I have been incredibly excited and blessed to have an unlimited amount of pears to work with.
Originally they were given to my family but as I go over there a couple times a week I noticed that no one was turning them into anything and slowly, but surely, they were beginning to rot. On my next trip to my mom's I took 10 pounds of sugar and as soon as I got there I headed to the cellar to rummage for pint jars, lids, and rings. I found everything I needed and turned most of a 5 gallon bucket of pears into Pear Syrup. I peeled, chopped, and boiled them for a little while in a pot of sugar, vanilla extract, and lemon juice. I'll admit I was going for jam but I had an issue of time constrain so when it had thickened to syrup state I put it into jars and water bathed it for 10 minutes.

With the left over pears I got a little more adventurous. I followed this recipe for Caramel Cardamom Pear Jam. In my opinion it is more of a butter than jam, it's texture is more mashed-fruity and not, well, jell like which comes to mind when I think of Jam. The cardamom amount gives it quite the kick, if I were to make it again I may cut back. I like it okay but I'm kind of afraid to gift it to anyone as it's such an unusual and strong flavor. What I did love about this jam though was the addition of brown sugar, the carameliness is just so rich and as beautiful a taste as this pregnant mama can imagine.

I had used up the buckets of pears by this point and was sad to see them go as I was in full jam making mode. I am not ever the most enthusiastic regular food preserver, tomatoes, green beans, salsa, pizza sauce, etc. putting those up are chores, it has to be done because we have to eat later. HOWEVER you tell me there is a berry patch ripe for the picking, I will be out there picking away, eating not a one single berry, as I dream up what jam to make. Tell me there is a cherry tree filled with those red sour beauties and I would pick every one and happily pit for the rest of the day in order to freeze them for pies and sauces to come. So when I hear of any fruit tree who's fruit is unused by any other I want them and I want them all.
I would turn every last pear from this, my brother's girl friends grandma's, (whom we all know as Nana) tree into syrup, jam, and butter.

So, once I had finished off that first batch of pears I asked Shay if her grandma wouldn't mind giving me more. Nana said I could come and get as many as I wanted. Well, I was baby/sibling sitting my family at the time so I didn't know when I'd get the chance. My brother however came home one afternoon with another load of pears that Nana had gathered and he picked up for me.

Those pears have now been turned into two batches of Caramel Pear Jam with a few saved out for a cobbler.

I have been thoroughly blessed by these pears and I'm starting to feel a little greedy as I wonder if there are any more ready for gathering... I just enjoy turning them into beautiful rows of shiny, sugary filled, canning jars. And not just for me, I look forward to handing a few out as I know if I don't I will be passing them onto my own great grandchildren when I die. I hoard jam. I can't help myself, it's precious and beautiful and must be saved for the perfect and special occasion, which I have yet to come across. ;) I still have Black Raspberry Jam and Pear Butter in my cabinet that I made when I was 16, way back in 2010. I am growing in this area though, I have already left a bunch of the syrup and jams at my family's (who's jars and lids I used...), and I for sure plan to send a jar up to Nana's as thank you for the bounty.

A selection of the quantities I have stored away.