How to Make Pear Jelly

Pear jelly is the perfect way to preserve the harvest of fresh pears. Whether you grow the pears yourself or purchase them at a farmer’s market or the grocery store, making this wonderful treat will not take more than a few hours of your time. When you’re done, you’ll be able to have the summer treat of pears even in the dead of winter.

Things You'll Need

• 8 oz. canning or jelly jars with lids and rings
• 6 pounds fresh, ripe pears
• Powered pectin
• 7 cups sugar
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• Water
• Saucepan
• Boiling water bath canner
• Jelly juice strainer

Instructions

1. Wash the pears to remove any dust, dirt or pesticide residue. Slice the pears from the core. Place the sliced pears in a saucepan with a quarter cup of water. Heat over medium heat until the pears are soft. Mash with a potato masher if desired to realize as much juice from the pears as possible.

2. Strain the mashed pears through a jelly bag into a large bowl. If a jelly bag is not available, use a colander lined with cheesecloth over a large bowl.

3. Pour the juice back into the saucepan. Add the contents of one box of pectin slowly, making sure to dissolve all of the powder into the juice.

4. Bring the mixture to a boil and add the lemon juice. Add in the sugar one cup at a time until dissolved. Return to a boil for one minute or until the juice thickens.

5. Ladle the contents into clean jelly jars. Place a lid on each jar and seal with a jar ring.

6. Process the jelly for 10 minutes in a boiling water bath. Remove from the canner and let sit on a wire or wooden rack until cool. Check each lid for proper sealing. Refrigerate any jars that did not seal properly.

Tips & Warnings

• Six pounds of pears will make about seven jelly-sized jars.

• The riper the fruit, the sweeter the jelly will be.

• You can take the fruit that remains in the jelly bag or colander and cook it down into pear butter. Add 1 cup sugar for each cup of fruit and cook until a consistency similar to pudding is achieved. Store in the refrigerator or freezer until ready to use.

• Mash the fruit into the juice; add the recommended amount of sugar and pectin and process as stated above for pear jam.

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish