Canning Pears
Preserve pears at home with this simple water bath canning recipe!
Equipment
Ingredients
- 17 to 18 pounds pears roughly 30 to 35 pears
- Canning Syrup Juice or Water *see note
- Lemon Juice Optional, to prevent browning
Instructions
- Prepare a water bath canner.
- Peel and halve pears.
- Core pears, using a small measuring spoon to scoop out the core.
- Slice if desired, or leave as halves.
- Place prepared pears in a bowl of cool water with a splash of lemon juice added to prevent browning while you work.
- Once pears are prepared, bring a pot with the canning liquid of your choice to a boil on the stove (see note on canning liquids).
- Add the pears and cook for 5 minutes, until the pears are fully heated through.
- Pack the pears into canning jars leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Ladle canning liquid over the top of the fruits maintaining a 1/2 inch headspace.
- De-bubble jars, do any final headspace adjustments, and then cap with 2 part canning lids.
- Process the jars in a water bath canner for 20 minutes for pints and 25 minutes for quarts. (Recipe is written for a 7-quart canner batch below 1000 feet in elevation, see notes for other batch sizes and elevations.)
- Once the canning time is complete, remove the jars to cool on a towel on the counter. After 24 hours, check seals and store any unsealed jars in the refrigerator for immediate use.
- Sealed jars of properly canned pears should maintain peak quality in the pantry at room temperature for 12-18 months.
Notes
Batch Size ~ It takes roughly 17 to 18 pounds of whole pears to fill a canner batch of 7 quarts (about 2 1/2 pound per quart). For pints, estimate 10 to 11 pounds of pears for a 9-pint canner batch (or about 1 1/4 pounds pears per pint).
Canning Syrup for Pears ~ Pears may be canned in a variety of liquids, including plain water or fruit juices (apple, pear, or grape). Most people choose to can pears in a syrup of some kind, and I'd recommend canning in an extra light syrup that uses 10 1/2 cups water and 1 1/4 cup sugar for a 7-quart canner batch. For a table with various syrups from extra light to heavy, and various batch sizes (quart and pint) please see this canning syrup table.
Adjusting for Altitude ~ The standard processing times for canning pears is 20 minutes for pints and 25 minutes for quarts if under 1,000 feet in elevation.
For 1,000 to 3,000 feet times are 25 min for pints and 30 min for quarts.
For 3,000 to 6,000 feet times are 30 min for pints and 35 min for quarts.
Above 6,000 feet times are 35 min for pints and 40 min for quarts.