Preserving Food ~ Slightly sweet spiced pears

I got a box of pears so I could make some baby food for next Summer when our newest little one wants to start tasting stuff... but I realized that pears and apples are not far behind when he will be old enough. I think I'll make him up new batches next year. That means these pears can be for us!

I am a lightly sweet kinda gal... and then I like slathering stuff with ice cream. :) These pears fit the bill perfectly! Slightly sweet with a little added ginger zing, mix with the sweetness of Alden's Organic Vanilla Ice-cream and we were in heaven!

Slightly Sweet Spiced Pears

1 box of Bosc Pears (brown skin) peeled, cored, and quartered

Syrup:

2 cups of sugar (organic and unbleached is what I use)

8 cups of water

2 whole nutmeg

2 Tbs vanilla extract

1. Prepare the jars. This means they must be clean and VERY hot when you are packing them with the pears and syrup. I usually wash mine in a sanitizing wash in my dishwasher just before canning. Then I pull them out one by one as I fill them. If you fill cold jars with cold pears and hot syrup, you will break jars.
2. Prepare the lids. I put mine in a small sauce pan and pour boiling water over them.
3. Prepare the pears. As you finish cutting and peeling your pears, drop them in to a large bowl of cold water that has 4 Tbs lemon juice added to it. This will stop them from browning.
4. Add to each jar:

   1/4 teaspoon powdered ginger

   1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

   1/2 teaspoon whole cloves
5. Fill the hot jars with the pear quarters.
6. Pour the syrup (making sure not to drop the nutmeg into the jar). Check for air pockets, and then fill to 1/2 inch below the rim.
7. Wipe rims and add the lids and rings to fingertip tight.
8. Place them in a waterbath canner and process at a rolling boil for 20 minutes.
9. Remove from waterbath canner and allow to cool on a towel with at least 2 inches between jars.
10. While you are waiting to enjoy your treat: Make pretty labels for your jars with my tutorial here.
11. Make sure you have a batch with vanilla ice-cream while they are still a little warm. Cut through the ice-cream to get to the slightly sweet but amazingly flavorful pear underneath and enjoy!

Notes: 1 box of pears makes about 13 quarts of these. The 13th was what we ate for dessert that night. I highly recommend it!