Canning pears has been a family tradition for as long as I can remember. Although the preserved pears remain deliciously sweet, this recipe uses reduced sugar compared to other traditional pear canning recipes.

The Benefits of Canning Pears

Not only are ripe pears delicious and refreshing, they are packed full of nutrients and fiber. We are fortunate to have several pear trees growing on our property that produce an abundance of bartlett pears each year.

The only thing is there are so many pears that it’s impossible to consume them all ourselves. So in addition to sharing loads of fresh, organic pears with friends and neighbours, we also preserve them by making canned pears to enjoy throughout the year. The next time you are gifted pears or buy them in season at the market, consider this easy to follow recipe for canning pears.

Additionally, we often substitute granulated sugar with other natural sweeteners, such as Stevia since our father is diabetic. So if you want to try this instead, use granulated Stevia in place of 1/3 of the granulated sugar.

Top view of pear compote in a bowl and on a spoon.

Sterilizing the Jars and Lids

The goal in sterilizing your jars is to kill any microbes on the inside surfaces of the jars and lids.

Place new or thoroughly cleaned jars (ideally fresh from the dishwasher washed on hot setting) and lids in a large cooking pot filled with water and boil on the stove top for 10 minutes.

Alternatively, arrange the clean jars, open side up, in a deep, oven-safe baking dish. Place the dish with the jars into the oven and heat to 210F for 15 minutes. The jars will be sterilized – make sure not to touch the insides of the jars with anything that hasn’t been sterilized.

Just before pouring the jam into the jars, boil the rims, lids, a pair of tongs and ladel on the stove top for 5 minutes. Use the tongs to place the lids on to the jars. Do not touch any of the inside surfaces with anything that hasn’t been sterilized.

boiling mason jar lids and rims for canning pears

How to Make Canned Pears

Fresh pairs, canned pear compote and compote in a bowl placed on a serving tray.

Canning Pears with Reduced Sugar

Preserve the sweet pear flavor to enjoy all year long with this easy to follow recipe for canning pears.

5 from 2 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Croatian

Keyword: canning, pears, preserves

Servings: 16 oz Jars

Author: Jane and Sonja

Ingredients

2 kg bartlett pears peeled and cut into quarters or cubed
3 litres of water
3 cups sugar
1 lemon divided (squeezed and sliced)

Instructions

Preparing the Pears

Wash pears in water.
Peel skin off of the pears, then cut them into quarters or cubes discarding the skin.
Place pears in a large bowl to submerge in water and squeeze half of a lemon and mix altogether. Only just enough water to fully submerge the pears is needed. The lemon helps to keep pears from browning after peeling.
Leave the pears to sit in the water while preparing the syrup.

Preparing Syrup

Guideline to follow for making syrup is to combine 1 cup of sugar for every 1 litre of water. The amount of sugar can be adjusted as desired.
Slice the other of the lemon.
Place 2.5 litres of water plus the sliced lemon into a large cooking pot.
Place sugar in water and cook on medium heat to bring to boil.
Once sugar water comes to a boil, place the strained pears into the pot.
Wait for water to boil again and then remove pears using a perforated basting spoon. Avoid overcooking the pears so be sure to remove as soon as water comes to a boil.

Filling the Jars

Place pears and sliced lemons into sterilized jars up to the rim. Avoid overpacking the jars.
Let the syrup boil for another 3-4 minutes.
Then fill the jars with syrup submerging the pears inside.
Seal the jars with sterilized lids.
Turn jars upside down on a dish towel and cover with another dish towel for 24 hours before using or storing away.

Tried this recipe?Mention @SustainMyCookingHabit or tag #sustainmycookinghabit!

How to Store Canned Pears?

Keep properly sealed jars in a cool, dry place all year long. Wipe the outside of the jar with damp clean cloth after the jar cools to prevent mold from forming on the outside of the jars.

Make sure all jars are sealed properly by pushing the center of the lid down with your finger. If your hear a clicking sound, it means the jar is NOT sealed properly. Keep those jars in the fridge and use within the month.