Apples and pears are the perfect fall treat and go great together in this pear apple preserves recipe.
Prep Time15 minutesmins
Cook Time30 minutesmins
Total Time45 minutesmins
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Servings: 60servings
Calories: 51kcal
Equipment
5 (8-ounce) canning jars
Ingredients
1½lbsapples(about 5, peeled and chopped)
1½lbs.pears(about 5, chopped)
3cupsgranulated white sugar
1mediumlemon(zested and juiced)
½teaspoonvanilla extract
½teaspooncinnamon powder
½teaspooncardamom powder
½teaspoonginger powder
¼teaspoonnutmeg(freshly grated)
¼teaspoonground cloves
Get Recipe Ingredients
Instructions
Place diced fruit in a Dutch oven. Cover with sugar, cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. Add lemon zest, juice, and vanilla. Simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until it comes to a boil.
Meanwhile, prepare five 8-ounce jars by sterilizing them in boiling water. Another option is to sterilize in the oven using this method.
When the fruit mixture comes to a boil, set the timer for 30 minutes. As the preserves cooks down, you may need to mash some of the fruit into smaller pieces. Continue to stir occasionally to keep the pear apple preserves from burning. You can also use an immersion blender to make it extra smooth.
When the time is up, the fruit should be translucent and the syrup should be pretty thick. If the preserves is still too watery, it may need to be cooked a little longer.
Pour the preserves into sterilized jars, using the proper canning tools. Once the lids are screwed hand-tight, place the jars back into the boiling water and process for ten additional minutes.
Video
Notes
Both apples and pears can be peeled or unpeeled when making this pear jam recipe. It's really a matter of preference.
The spices in this recipe can be altered, for example, you can leave out the cloves or another spice that you don't like.
You should have no issues with this pear apple preserves not thickening. Apples and pears both contain a lot of pectin. The lemon zest added to the jam also helps to thicken it.
Store jars that did not seal in the refrigerator.
Adding a vanilla bean to the jam when it's simmering is also a great idea!