Pear Preserve recipe

I've had a comment to my 2006 post about making pear preserves and a request for the recipe.

Here it is:

Peel, slice, and weigh pears. An approximately equal poundage of sugar will be needed to cover the pears, so if you have a big sack of pears, you'll need an appropriate amount of sugar. With this last batch, a full grocery sack of pears, it took 10 pounds of sugar to cover them. Add 1-3 thinly sliced lemons. Cover the kettle and let sit overnight. In the morning, there'll be a lot of syrup. Stir.

Start cooking over low heat and stir. The pears will "cook down" and there'll be more syrup. I like my pears slightly brown, but not chewy. I had two containers of pears going and over the course of the morning was able to siphon off sufficient syrup to combine the pears into one container. This means I probably squandered close to a gallon of liquid. I didn't know what else to do since I didn't want pear syrup. Stir. And stir. You don't want them sticking.

When they're the consistency you want, spoon into jars, seal, water-bath, 5 minutes for half-pints, 10 for pints. I got 13 half-pint jars and they are delicious!

This, that, and the other or: Sam, work-in-progress, antiquing trip, and pear preserves

1. It's darn impossible to trap a raccoon when the trap is otherwise occupied. I let Sammy cat out of it twice last night before I had gone to bed and again this morning when I got up. I just can't think of any bait which will be enticing to a raccoon but not enticing to him. I have thought of setting two traps, which I have. Even Sammy cannot be in two places at one time.

2. I have a new opening post on my website. Please visit and read about my new work-in-progress.

3. I mentioned I'd been on a trip, but haven't written about it yet. A friend and I spent three days in Oklahoma near Muscogee antiquing. I'd say we did it at our leisure, but that would be a lie. There were so many antique stores and malls to see that we not only lost count of those visited, but also there was nothing leisurely about the pace we set. She goes to bed late and I go early. She'll catch a few extra winks if she can and I'm up before 6. We were in bed the second night by 10 and slept until 7:30. Who says antiquing isn't hard work?

4. And, last but not least, I've had a comment on my pear preserves blog from two years ago, asking if I ever found an exact recipe. Sorta.

Peel, slice, and weigh pears. An approximately equal poundage of sugar will be needed to cover the pears, although in my last batch, 5 pounds of sugar covered 8 pounds of prepared pears. Add 1-3 sliced lemons, cover, and let set overnight. Cook pears down until color and consistency desired. This takes hours and impatient soul that I am, I scooped liquid off so it would be faster. Spoon into jars, seal, water-bath. My 8 pounds of prepared pears yielded 8 cups of preserves.

Enjoy!