Canning Pear Halves in Vanilla or Cinnamon Simple Syrup
This is an easy water bath canning recipe, so you don't need a lot of specialized equipment and it's very beginner-friendly. Even if you have never canned before, you can absolutely learn to make these canned pear halves in just a few hours. If you can peel fruit and boil water, you can do this!The simple syrup quantities listed should be enough for at least 4 quarts (or 8 pints) of pear halves or slices. You can halve or scale these quantities up as needed!
Equipment
- mason jars and new canning lids
- canning jar tongs or rack with handles
Ingredients
- firm, ripe pears
- lemon juice or fresh lemons
- 2 tbsp citric acid or Fruit Fresh
Medium-Light Simple Syrup
- 5 cups water
- 3 cups granulated sugar
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- vanilla bean and/or cinnamon sticks
Instructions
prep the simple syrup, canning pot and jars:
- Fill a large canning pot with water, cover, and bring to a boil. Place the canning jars (but not the lids) in the pot of water to heat and sterilize the jars.
- Make simple syrup in a medium sized pot. The quantity listed should be enough for four quarts of pears. You can double or halve this, although if you halve it, you will need a small pot and to work in small batches to poach the pears before jarring them. Add your cinnamon sticks or split vanilla bean to the syrup if you are using them. See notes.
prep the pear halves or slices:
- Fill a large mixing bowl half-full with cold water mixed with Fruit Fresh (vitamin C) or a few spoonfuls of citric acid. You can also squeeze halved lemons or a splash of lemon juice in the water.
- Wash the pears, then peel and core them and slice them into halves. Dip them into the lemon water as you work to prevent browning, and place the finished halves in the water as you peel and process the rest. A coring tool is very helpful, although you can also carefully core them with a paring knife, or slice them into quarters and use a chef's knife to slice the cores at an angle to remove them.
poach pears:
- Working in batches, poach the pear halves in the simmering syrup for several minutes, until they are heated through but still firm.
- Use a slotted spoon or spider to gently remove the pears from the hot syrup.
pack the poached pears in jars:
- Carefully transfer them to the hot jars, and top up with syrup, leaving a ½" head space. Divide the flavored syrup evenly among the jars, and if needed, top up with boiling water (or reserve extra syrup for other batches, or store in the refrigerator).
- Using a debubbler tool, chopstick, or thin spatula, stir gently to remove air bubbles. Place a cinnamon stick or slice of vanilla bean in each jar, pressed down between the pears and the glass.
process the jars in the water-bath:
- Wipe the rims of the jars and top with clean lids and rings. Using a canning rack or jar tongs, transfer the hot jars to the boiling water to cover. If needed, top up the pot with more boiling water so that the jars are covered by several inches of water.
- When the pot has returned to a boil, start your timer, and process quart jars for 25 minutes in the boiling water bath.
- When the timer is up, turn off the heat. After five minutes, uncover the pot (away from you, being mindful of the steam), and carefully remove the jars. Let them cool on a folded kitchen towel or wooden surface (do not place hot jars directly onto a cold countertop). Leave them undisturbed until fully cool (overnight or at least 6-8 hours).
- Check the seals within 24 hours, remove the rings, and wash, label, and store the jars. Any jars that aren't sealed can be immediately reprocessed with fresh lids, or refrigerated to use within a week. Store in a cool, dark place. Best consumed within 12-18 months, though they can last longer if properly stored.
Notes
Note: I like to make the syrup with just vanilla, and add cinnamon sticks to some of the jars, but you can make them all-vanilla or all-cinnamon, or even plain.
Flavored syrup variations: If you want to experiment, you can use whole star-anise or whole allspice berries, a clove or two, coriander or cardamom, or even pink peppercorns, though it's always best to try a jar or two to make sure you like it before doing a whole batch.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
