Let's Preserve: Pears

Recommended Varieties

Bartlett, Bosc, Anjou, and Comice are best. Keiffer is acceptable. Seckel pears are suitable for pickled and spiced products.

Quantity

A bushel weighs 50 pounds and yields 16 to 25 quarts. An average of 17½ pounds makes a 7-quart canner load; an average of 11 pounds is needed per canner load of 9 pints; 2½ pounds make a quart. An average of 1½ pounds of pears makes 1 pint of frozen pears.

Quality

Pears are harvested before they are ready to eat. Unless refrigerated, they will ripen within 7 to 14 days. For best quality, sort pears often and preserve them as they ripen to an ideal maturity for eating fresh. Raw-packed pears are poor-quality products.

Preparation

Wash and peel pears. Cut lengthwise in halves and remove core. A melon baller or metal measuring spoon is suitable for coring pears. To prevent discoloration, keep peeled fruit in water with vitamin C made by mixing 1 teaspoon of crystalline ascorbic acid or six 500-milligram vitamin C tablets in 1 gallon of water

Freezing Procedure

Don't freeze more than 2 pounds of food per cubic foot of freezer capacity per day.

To Make a Syrup Pack

Heat pears in boiling syrup made of 2¾ cups sugar in 4 cups water for 1 to 2 minutes, depending on the size of pieces. For a better product, add ½ teaspoon ascorbic acid or three 500-milligram vitamin C tablets that are finely crushed. Drain pears and cool. Pack pears into freezer containers and add 1 cup of syrup per quart of prepared fruit. Allow 1 inch of headspace for quart containers. Place a small piece of crumpled water-resistant paper on top to hold fruit down. Seal and freeze.

To Make a Dry Sugar Pack

To slow darkening, sprinkle ¼ teaspoon of ascorbic acid dissolved in 3 tablespoons of cold water over each quart of fruit before adding sugar.  Mix ½ cup of dry sugar per quart of prepared fruit. Pack into freezer containers. Allow 1 inch of headspace for quart containers and ½ inch of headspace for pint containers with a wide-top opening.

Canning Procedure

Wash jars. Prepare lids according to manufacturer's instructions. Fruit in jars may be covered with your choice of water, apple or white grape juice, or, more commonly, a very light, light, or medium syrup. To make a very light syrup, for a canner load of quarts, mix 1¼ cups of sugar in 10½ cups of water and heat to dissolve; mix and dissolve 2¼ cups of sugar in 9 cups of water to make a light syrup; or mix 3¾ cups of sugar in 8¼ cups of water to make a medium syrup.

Asian pears must be acidified before canning to make them safe from the microorganism that causes botulism. Add 1 tablespoon bottled lemon juice per pint jar or 2 tablespoons per quart jar before adding the Asian pears and canning liquid.

To Make a Hot Pack

Place drained fruit in boiling syrup, juice, or water and boil for  5 minutes. Fill clean jars with hot fruit and cooking liquid, leaving ½ inch of headspace. Remove air bubbles. Wipe  sealing edge of jars with a clean, damp paper towel. Add lids and tighten screw bands. You may process jars in a boiling water canner, an atmospheric steam canner, or a pressure canner. See Tables 1 and 2.

To Process in a Boiling Water Canner

Preheat canner half filled with water to 180°F. Load sealed jars into the canner rack and lower with handles, or load one jar at a time with a jar lifter onto rack in canner. Add water, if needed, to 1 inch above jars and cover. When water boils vigorously, lower heat to maintain a gentle boil and process for recommended time. After processing is complete, set canner off heat and remove canner lid. Wait 5 minutes before removing jars. Finish cooling as for pressure canning.

To Process in an Atmospheric Steam Canner

Preheat the base of a steam canner that has been filled with the amount of water designated in the instruction manual that comes with the canner (usually about 2 quarts). Set the rack in the base of the canner. Heat water in the base of the canner to 180°F. As each jar is filled, place it on canner rack, keeping the cover or lid on the atmospheric steam canner as you work. When all jars are in the canner, bring the canner to a boil over medium to medium-high heat until a steady column of steam at least 6 inches long escapes from the vent hole(s). Processing time begins when there is a steady column of steam 6 to 8 inches long. Slowly adjust the heat to maintain a steady column of steam throughout the processing time. When processing is complete, remove the canner lid or cover. Allow the jars to sit in the canner for 5 minutes before removing them from the canner with a jar lifter to a towel-covered counter. Do not retighten screw bands. Cool, inspect, label, and store jars as described in pressure canning instructions.

To Process in a Pressure Canner

Place jar rack, 2 inches of water, and sealed jars in canner. Fasten lid and heat canner on high setting. After steam exhausts for 10 minutes, add weighted gauge or close petcock to pressurize the canner. Start timing the recommended process when the desired pressure is reached. Regulate heat to maintain a uniform pressure. When processing is complete, remove canner from heat. Air-cool canner until it is fully depressurized. Then slowly remove weighted gauge or open petcock, wait 10 more minutes, and unfasten and carefully remove canner lid.

Remove jars from canner with a jar lifter and place on a towel or rack. Do not retighten screw bands. Air-cool jars for 12 to 24 hours. Remove screw bands and check lid seals. If the center of the lid is indented, wash, dry, label, and store jar in a clean, cool, dark place. If lid is unsealed, examine and replace jar if defective, use new lid, and reprocess as before. Wash screw bands and store separately. Pears are best if consumed within a year and are safe as long as the lids remain vacuum sealed.

Floating Fruit

To avoid floating fruit start with firm, ripe fruit. Heat fruit before packing and use a light to medium syrup. Pack fruit as closely as possible without crushing. Follow directions for processing times.

For additional information about food preservation, visit the  Penn State Extension Home Food Preservation website or contact Penn State Extension in your county.

Prepared by Martha Zepp, extension project assistant; Andy Hirneisen, senior food safety educator; and Luke LaBorde, professor of food science.