Neighborly Sharing Means Canning
The benefit of having fruit trees is that when they produce, they really produce. One day you’ll be looking longingly at the tree, the next day you can’t keep up with the box loads of fruit coming off of it. So what you do is share. I’ll give you a big bag of Granny Smiths if you give me a big bag of fuyus. We sent Hank home the other day with some pomegranates and he showed up a few days later with a bag of Bartlett pears from his tree. A bag of fruit is a lot to get through before they spoil. Canning pears isn’t difficult, and a great solution for fruit overload.
How to Can Pears
In the case of Hank’s beautiful pears, I decided to simply can them, in a light sugar syrup, with a few pear-loving spices thrown in for good measure. Canning pears is an easy way to preserve the fruit for later enjoyment when the pears are at their ripest. For these canned pears, I’m using a light syrup ratio of a cup of sugar to a quart of water. You could also use apple juice or white grape juice as your canning liquid. You could even use water, though a lightly sugared solution will help the fruit retain its color for storage longer than a few weeks. For spices, I used cardamom, star anise, and cinnamon, because I know these spices complement the flavor of the pears. You could use nutmeg or vanilla as well. Wash the lids in hot, soapy water. While the water is heating, proceed with the recipe. Pack your canning jars with the pears. Pour the remaining syrup over the pears to cover, leaving 1/2 inch of headroom from the tops of the jars. Wipe the rims with a paper towel. Put on the lids and screw the bands on fingertip-tight. Remove from the water bath and set on a clean kitchen towel on the counter. Let cool. Sealed jars will keep at room temperature at least 1 year, but are best consumed within 12 months.
