Homemade Pear Butter

With all my talk of Bartlett pears last week, and a bowl full of ripe fruit sitting on my kitchen counter, I thought I'd whip up a batch of pear butter - a great recipe to utilize ripe pears that might otherwise end up in my compost bin.

It’s simple to prepare and can be used in a variety of ways:  I like to spread it on scones for breakfast; top caramel ice cream with a dollop for a seasonal sundae; garnish a cheeseboard with a little jar; or use it in place of applesauce in a quick bread.

And if you want to get creative: try swapping the ginger and cinnamon with spices you like best. Freshly-ground black pepper is also quite nice...

Homemade Pear Butter

Ingredients

5 pounds ripe pears

1 cup pear cider

1 ½ tsp. finely chopped fresh ginger

¼ tsp. cinnamon

¼ tsp.  salt

½ cup light brown sugar

1 to 1 ½ cups granulated sugar, to taste

Finely grated zest of ½ lemon

Juice of ½ lemon

Directions

1. Peel, core, and roughly chop the pears.

2. Combine pears, cider, ginger, cinnamon, and salt in a large heavy bottom pan. Cover and cook over low heat for 20 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until pears are very soft. Drain any excess liquid.

3. Press pears through a food mill; puree pears in a blender; or use a potato masher to mash the pears.

4. Add remaining ingredients and cook the pureed pears over medium heat for 15 minutes, or until consistency is similar to applesauce.

5. Pour hot mixture into jars and let cool to room temperature. Cover and store in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.