![\"jars](\"https:\/\/growagoodlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/canning-pears-square-1.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>Our pear trees produced a bumper crop this year, and each day I am gathering the fruit to preserve for later. The deer enjoy them too, but there is plenty for all of us. I let them have the fruit that falls to the ground, and I use a homemade fruit picker made from a recycled milk jug attached to a pole to grab the fruit high on the tree.<\/p>
Tips for Canning Pears<\/h2>
Canned pears are preserved by peeling, slicing, hot packing into canning jars with a light syrup, and processing in a water-bath canner for shelf stable jars.<\/p>
How to Tell When Pears are Ready to Harvest<\/h3>
Unlike most fruit, pears are harvested before they fully ripen on the tree. If you leave pears on the tree to ripen, they will ripen from the inside out. This results in a mealy and mushy texture in the center. Great for making pear jam or pear sauce, but not so great for fresh eating or canning.<\/p>
The easiest way to tell if a pear is ready to harvest is to lift it and roll the fruit on a slight angle. If it is ready, it will separate easily at the stem where it attaches to the branch or spur. If it needs more time, it will hold on to the branch. Wait a few days and try it again.<\/p>
![\"hand](\"https:\/\/growagoodlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/canning-pears-picking.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>Whether you harvest your own pears, or purchase from the farmer’s market, ripen your pears at room temperature 4 to 7 days.<\/p>
Pears are ripe when their color changes slightly, the flesh near the stem yields to gentle pressure, and the fruit has a sweet smell. Unfortunately, pears don’t ripen all at once, so store ripe pears in the refrigerator until the others catch up.<\/p>
Best Pears for Canning<\/h3>
Choose mature, slightly under ripe fruit perfect for fresh eating or cooking. Firm pears hold up better to the canning process and are less likely to turn mushy. Bartlett pears are best for canning, but Anjou, Bosc, and Comice pears are also ideal.<\/p>
Use whatever type of pears you can get your hands on or harvest from local trees. They are still safe to eat if they end up a little mushy once canned. They are delicious mashed up and spooned over yogurt, ice cream, or pancakes.<\/p>
Asian pears, also called apple pairs, or oriental pears, can be canned too, but an acid must be added to make them safe for canning. Follow this recipe for canning Asian pears<\/a>.<\/p> Depending on the size of the pieces, you will need about 11 pounds of pears for a canner load of 9 pints, about 17 1\/2 pounds for a canner load of 7 quarts.<\/p> You can preserve pears in a sugar syrup, honey syrup, apple juice, pear juice, white grape juice, or plain water.<\/p> Pears canned in syrup will hold their shape better and maintain flavor. I use a very light sugar syrup in this recipe, but feel free to substitute any of these options:<\/p> Syrup for 9 Pints:<\/strong><\/p> If you are new to canning or haven’t canned in a while, it may be helpful to review this article on water bath canning<\/a> at the National Center for Home Food Preservation website.<\/p> A more detailed and printable recipe can be found at the bottom of this article, but these are the general steps for canning pears in pint-sized jars. See the notes in the recipe for quarts.<\/p> Check the jars carefully for nicks and cracks. Eliminate any that are damaged as these will break in the canner. Wash the jars, lids, bands and canning tools in warm, soapy water and rinse well. Set the lids, bands, and tools aside to air-dry until you are ready to use them.<\/p> Jars must be heated before filling to prevent breakage due to thermal shock. Place the canning rack into the water bath canner, set the jars upright in the canner, and add water to cover the jars. Bring the canner to a simmer (180\u02daF) for 10 minutes, and keep hot until you are ready to fill them.<\/p> Add the sugar and water to a large saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat to dissolve sugar, and then reduce heat to a simmer (180\u02daF) and keep warm.<\/p> To prevent browning, you can dip the peeled and sliced pears into a lemon water bath. Fill a large bowl with about a gallon of cold water and juice from one lemon or 1\/2 cup of bottled lemon juice. You can also use Fruit Fresh<\/a> to prevent browning. Follow the instructions on the container.<\/p> Wash the pears well under clean, running water. Peel pears, remove the core, and cut into halves, quarters, or slices. Add the pear pieces to the prepared lemon bath as you work.<\/p> Drain the pears and add them to the sugar-syrup pot. Cover the pot, raise the heat, and bring the pot to a boil, and boil for 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and fill the jars.<\/p> Spread a kitchen towel on the counter. Use the jar lifter to remove a hot jar from the canner, drain, and place on the towel. Keep the remaining jars in the canner, so they stay warm.<\/p> Use tongs and pack the hot pears into the jar. Use the canning funnel and ladle to pour the hot syrup over the pears maintaining a 1\/2-inch headspace.<\/p> Run the bubble popper through the jars to remove air bubbles. Wipe the rim with a damp towel to remove residue. Center a lid on the top, place the band over the lid, and screw it on until fingertip tight. Place back into the canner, and repeat with the rest of the jars.<\/p> Adjust the water level so it is covering the jars by several inches, bring the pot to a boil, and process for the times indicated in the recipe below. Let the jars cool, test the seals, label and date, and store in a cool, dark location.<\/p>Choose a Preserving Liquid<\/h3>
Steps to Canning Pears<\/h2>
Step 1: Gather your canning supplies<\/h3>
Step 2: Prepare the canning equipment<\/h3>
Step 3: Make the syrup<\/h3>
Step 4: Prepare a lemon water bath<\/h3>
Step 5: Prepare the pears<\/h3>
Step 6: Can the pears<\/h3>
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