adapted from Perfect Preserves by Nora Carey
makes 1½ quarts

This jam is sweetened by the natural sugars in the pears, and fruit juice. No additional sugar is required. It is perfect over pancakes, French toast, or waffles, or use it to top ice cream or pound cake. Served with a biscuit and whipped cream, it makes a fun fall shortcake.

Ingredients
5 pounds pears
grated zest of 1 lemon plus 2 Tbsp. lemon juice
2 quarts unsweetened apple, pear or white grape juice 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise

Steps

1. Peel, quarter, and core the pears. Chop the pears into small cubes and toss them in a bowl with the lemon zest and juice. Set aside.
2. In a preserving pan, combine the fruit juice of your choice with the vanilla bean. Reduce the liquid by half over moderate heat. Remove the vanilla bean from the reduced juice.
3. Add the pears and their liquid to the juice and bring the mixture to a boil over moderate heat. Cook the jam, stirring frequently, for 30-40 minutes, or until the jellying point is reached.
4. Spoon the jam into warm sterilized jars and seal. Process jars of jam in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes. Let cool. Check the seals and store up to 1 year.

From the recipe collection of
Hillsdale Farmers’ Market Chef Kathryn Yeomans
The Farmer's Feast http://thefarmersfeast.me/