Raw Pack Canned Pears Sweetened with Maple Syrup
No refined sugar is necessary to can pears. Maple syrup instead of sugar syrup works beautifully and is so delicious!
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Servings: 7 quarts
Ingredients
- 16 - 18 pounds fresh organic pears about 40 medium to large pears
- lemon juice
- maple syrup
- boiling water
Instructions
- Fill your water bath canner about half full of water, place on the stove and begin to bring the water to a simmer while you prepare your pears.
- Wash canning lids and bands in hot, soapy water. Rinse. Dry, and set aside until needed.
- Wash the pears. Peel, core, and cut to the preferred size. If using wide mouth jars, cut the pears in half. For narrow mouth jars, cut in four.
- Soak the pears for a few minutes in a lemon juice bath to help prevent discoloration. Add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice per cup of water to cover the pears.
- Begin to heat maple syrup to a low simmer. I use 1/4 cup of maple syrup per quart of pears, but you can use less, more, or even use all maple syrup.
- Pack the prepared pears into clean, hot canning jars leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Pour the hot maple syrup over the pears in the jars, then fill the remaining space with boiling water, again leaving 1/2 inch headspace.
- Remove air bubbles, clean the jar rim, center the lid on the jar and adjust the band to fingertip tight.
- Place a rack in the elevated position over your water bath canner. Place each jar on the rack.
- Lower the rack into the simmering water. Be sure that the water covers the jars by 1 inch. Add boiling water if necessary. Adjust the heat to medium-high, cover the canner and bring the water to a rolling boil.
- Process pint jars for 20 minutes, and quart jars for 25 minutes, adjusting for altitude. Turn off the heat and remove the cover. Allow the jars to cool for 5 minutes. This slow cool-down helps to prevent siphoning.
- Remove the jars from the canner, and place on a rack or towel on your counter. Cool for 12 hours, test the seals, and label and store in a cool, dry, dark area.
- You may notice that the maple syrup remains on the bottom of the jar, and the water on the top. After complete cooling and sealing, you may gently shake the jars to mix the water and syrup.