This pear jam is flavored with a hint of vanilla and cardamom that add that touch of warmth but let the pear flavors shine. Easy and delicious!
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When I was growing up, for some reason it feels like we picked a lot of berries. I'm not sure if we really did, but I distinctly remember a number of times either picking at a local farm or foraging for blackberries.
While I did a good job helping to eat a good number as we picked, we also always made quite a lot in to blackberry jam. Even now, whenever we visit my parents, my mum has at least a few jars of that and maybe raspberry or strawberry jam on the shelf.
It took me a while to get into the jam-making habit myself, having made jams with my mum as a child. But now it's something I do much more often, with what ever fruits are in season like strawberry peach jam or Concord grape jam. Then I'll happily make things like lemon curd anytime.
After a request from the boys to make some more jam last autumn, I decided to try pear jam. It's a great one to get kids involved in helping as pears are pretty easy to help peel and cut.
Then the actual cooking is relatively quick, so they can see the rewards fairly quickly. Even if you do have to wait a little bit before actually trying it.
What type of pears are best for jam?
You can use most varieties of pear to make jam, so feel free to use what you have. That said, personally I would choose varieties like Anjou, Comice or Seckel, which are softer, sweet and have a bright flavor. Anjou is a little firmer but also works well.
Bosc can be a bit grainy, especially when more ripe, so I would choose on the under-ripe side if including. Also, it doesn't tend to break down quite as well, so you may get firmer chunks in the end jam (which may or may not be to your taste).
You can use a mixture of pear varieties to get more variety in the flavors coming through. Slightly underripe pears have a higher level of pectin while riper ones tend to add more flavor. So using a mixture can help get the best of both.
Flavor pairing for pear
Pear has quite a delicate flavor, so I would say you don't want to add that much in flavors as you can easily overpower it. That said, warm spices pair really well so it can work well to add a little in the mix.
I decided to flavor this jam with a little cardamom and vanilla paste. The vanilla is definitely just the right amount as to me, you only want a little to have a slight flavor rather than dominating. You could certainly add a little more cardamom if you like as it is less distinct, but it adds a lovely warmth.
My aim with this pear jam recipe was to give a little warm spice while still having plenty pear flavor and that's definitely the case. But you can play around with flavors - that's one of the fun things with homemade jams! Other flavors to try include ginger, allspice, cloves or cinnamon.
Do you really need that much sugar?
Every time I make a classic jam, I always have that sense that it's a heck of a lot of sugar. Where I can, I often reduce the quantity, but to a point you need it to get the right flavor and texture.
Here, I have kept a pretty classic ratio of fruit to sugar as pears do become pretty liquid when they cook down and are naturally lower in pectin. Unless you add pectin, this would mean a very runny jam without a decent amount of sugar.
In this case, the sugar's a sacrifice I'm willing to make as you don't use all that much at a time, for one. Plus, the flavor is definitely delicious.
Steps and tips for making pear jam
As I say, this is a pretty easy jam to make as all you do is:
- Peel and dice the pear, removing the core.
- Put the pear, sugar, lemon, vanilla and cardamon in a small pan and warm over a medium-low heat.
- Stir now and then so that the mixture doesn't burn and the sugar dissolves. Bring to a simmer and simmer until it thickens.
- Allow to cool a few minutes before transferring to a sterile jar.
While it's pretty easy, a couple additional tips. Use a wide pan relative to the volume you are cooking to have a larger surface area. This helps it thicken and reduce more quickly. Be sure to use fresh lemon juice to be that bit brighter in flavor.
As the jam is simmering, if foam forms on the top, if it's thin, just leave it and it likely dissolves, but if it stays and thickens then skim it off with a spoon to save clouding the jam. As you stir, be gentle to avoid the mixture going up the sides, or scrape down quickly, as otherwise it can thicken or the sugar crystalizes (making it harder to clean and likely lost jam).
This pear jam quickly became a favorite in our house, and I'm sure that's not just because the boys helped make it. With a wonderful pear flavor and gentle warm spice, it's perfect on toast or anything else you can find the excuse to spread it on.
Try these other delicious homemade jams:
- Strawberry raspberry jam
- Mango jam
- Plum jam
- Apricot jam
- Plus get more sauce, jam and condiment recipes and fall recipes in the archives.
Pear jam
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ cups diced pear 1 ¾ cups is approx 13 ½oz - roughly 2 pears)
- ¾ cup sugar
- 2 teaspoon lemon juice
- ⅛ teaspoon vanilla paste
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cardamom
Instructions
- Peel and dice the pear, removing the core and any stringiness.
- Put the pear, sugar, lemon juice, vanilla and cardamon in a small pan and warm over a medium-low heat.
- Stir the mixture now and then so that the mixture doesn't burn and the sugar dissolves, but also avoid it going up the sides.
- Bring the mixture to a boil and reduce the heat slightly so that it simmers rather than boils. The pear will soften and become more liquid as it heats - break up larger chunks as needed. Cook for around 15 minutes, or more/less as needed, until it becomes noticeably thicker, then remove from heat.
- Allow to cool a few minutes before transferring to a sterile jar.
Notes
Nutrition
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Anne Sundqvist says
Perfect recipe, Absolutely delicious
Caroline's Cooking says
So glad you enjoyed it! It's definitely one I really love.
Hilary Berry says
I have been making pear jam for years in large quantities divided into1/2 or 1 pint jars as it makes a wonderful Christmas gift. I have never used vanilla and cardamom so I must try it. I almost always use fresh finely diced ginger root and sometimes candied ginger finely diced. It is a family favorite!
Caroline's Cooking says
Ginger and pear are a great pairing as well. I hope you enjoy this flavor combination, too. Pear jam is indeed so tasty, a lovely idea for gifts!
marilyn meierhofer says
how long to can in a steam canner?
Caroline's Cooking says
Steam canning is not a process I use myself, so I am not best at advising on it, but I'd expect it to be the same as you would allow for other jams.
Glenda says
What is vanilla paste?
Caroline's Cooking says
Vanilla paste is similar to extract, but it's thicker and made with a sweet syrup so it works well when you want the vanilla flavor but not the sometimes more harsh alcohol flavor that you can get with extract. You could certainly use the seeds from a vanilla pod in stead, or extract would also work just maybe use slightly less to limit the other flavor coming through.
Em says
I’ve made pear jam before but the recipe called to process in a water bath for 10 minutes …does that just gives it a longer shelf life ?yes/no?
Caroline's Cooking says
Yes, so the water bath ensures there is a stronger seal to make it more shelf-stable. The reasons I haven't included that here are that it's a small batch, and so it would be rare to need this step since most people will easily get through it storing in the fridge, plus it's a lower sugar jam that I tend to be less sure about trying to store a long time. You certainly could do this, especially if making a larger batch, but as I say for a small amount to use there and then, fridge storage is sufficient.
Kathy says
First time I made this pear jam, I spread it on a toasted croissant - yumm! I thought I was in France!! I have since made it many times to share with friends and family - a definite keeper!!
Caroline's Cooking says
So glad to hear you have been enjoying - I agree it does have such a lovely flavor.
Kris says
Thanks for sharing such an easy, and tasty recipe. I have tons of pears this time of year. It's nice to find a way to use some of them up that isn't bread or cake. I put my jam in small jars, and look forward to sharing with friends and family.
Caroline's Cooking says
I'm so glad you enjoyed it - and yes, great for gifting!
Suzie layn says
Can I use canned pears
Caroline's Cooking says
I haven't tried but it should work - just make sure you only use the pears themselves and not the liquid in the can. Canned pears are often softer and so would break down quicker. This means the jam may cook quicker, though there may be more liquid to reduce. They are typically canned in a kind of syrup which can make the pears sweeter, so you may not need quite as much sugar.
Lincoln Ruth says
question Can you substitute vanilla flavor for vanilla paste
Caroline's Cooking says
Yes, that should work (though flavor may not be quite as good), or you can also skip it.
Jenny Sprod says
I have just used this recipe, roughly doubling up the quantities, and it is delicious. I used a potato masher to break down the chopped pears once they had softened, and cooked on a low boil until a wooden spoon dragged across the bottom of the pan left a trail (same as making chutney).
Caroline's Cooking says
Glad to hear you enjoyed! And yes, much like making chutney I agree.
Margarita says
I'm hoping to make large quantities of this jam to create small gifts for the holidays. Any advice for making this recipe x10 or so? Just wondering if there are important things to consider because I've never made jam! Thank you!
Caroline's Cooking says
So a couple things - making a larger quantity of any jam will always take longer. It's worth using a wider pot if you can, to get a larger surface area to help it both have more area heated to warm up and also reduce down a little quicker. On this jam in particular, pears are relatively low in natural pectin so this jam tends to be on the runnier side anyway. If you want it a little thicker, and particularly since you are planning to make more, then it may be worth using a little added pectin to help it thicken a little more. Hope you enjoy!
Margarita says
Thank you! Please disregard my second post to you with the same question! I thought the first one didn't go through for some reason!
Dana says
Delicious!! Can’t wait till my family tries this!
Caroline's Cooking says
So glad you like it, and hope the family does too!
Teresa Belmar says
For some reason there was a lot of liquid and when cooled it didn’t set.
Tastes nice but it isn’t a ham 🙁
Any advice?
Caroline's Cooking says
It may have been that your pears were pretty juicy, which can happen both depending on how ripe they are and different varieties (plus just generally). The easiest way to resolve this is just to simmer it, uncovered, for a bit longer to reduce down the liquid. You could also add a little more lemon to help increase the pectin level slightly.
Teresa Belmar says
Thank you!
Barbi Zsoldos says
Can you use unripe pears for this recipe as that’s all I have and they refuse to ripen!
Caroline's Cooking says
It should probably work fine, the main thing with unripe pears is they tend not to have such a good flavor, but maybe if they've been hanging around refusing to ripen they might still have developed enough.
Chris Collins says
I never realised jam was so easy to make! I'll definitely be giving this recipe a go as I love pear so much 🙂
Caroline's Cooking says
Indeed, it really is! If you enjoy pears then yes, definitely give this one a try.
Gina says
The cardamom MAKES this jam, absolutely delicious flavor!
Caroline's Cooking says
Thanks, I really think it adds that little something special too.