Caramel Pear Butter for Canning {Slow Cooker Version}
This caramel pear butter recipe has a rich, bold flavor and dark brown color thanks to brown sugar. It tastes like caramel and even has a little salt to make it pop! Make it in the slow cooker for an easy set-it-and-forget-it project, then follow the directions for water bath canning. It makes a great holiday gift, too!
Equipment
- Slow cooker
- 2 quart jars for measuring pear sauce
- Cutting board and knife
- immersion blender or food mill
- Wooden spoon or rubber spatula
- ladle
- Half pint jars
- Canning tongs (jar lifter)
- clean kitchen towel
- Half pint mason jars
Ingredients
- 10-15 pears cored, destemmed, and cut into pieces
- 2 cups white sugar
- 2 cups brown sugar
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground allspice
- 1/8 tsp ground cloves
- 1 tsp kosher salt optional, brings out flavor
Instructions
Prepare the pears
- Place the prepared pears in a slow cooker over medium heat for approximately 1 hour.10-15 pears
- As the pears begin to soften, crush them with a potato masher and let them continue to cook down until soft enough to puree.
- Use an immersion blender to puree the cooked pears until smooth.
- Measure out 2 quarts of the pear puree. (I filled 2 quart jars with the pear sauce and reserved any leftover in a jar to use in another recipe.)
Make the pear butter
- Add the 2 quarts of pear sauce back to the slow cooker and add the sugars, spices, and salt. Stir to incorporate.2 cups white sugar, 2 cups brown sugar, 2 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp ground allspice, 1/8 tsp ground cloves, 1 tsp kosher salt
- Slow cook over high heat for 10-12 hours or until thickened (I let mine cook over low heat overnight then increased to high heat the next morning until it cooked down). Leave the lid ajar to help evaporate extra moisture. Give it a good stir every 30-60 minutes to avoid burning.
- When ready, the pear butter should be thick enough to hold its shape on a spoon. The amount of time will vary depending on the liquid in the pears. (If you make a double batch, it will likely take longer than a single batch.)
Water bath canning pear butter
- Fill your water bath canner with plenty of water and warm your canning jars. Remove from the hot water and place on a clean kitchen towel.
- Using the canning funnel and ladle, fill jars with the hot pear butter. Remove air bubbles and make sure there is 1/4 inch head space.
- Clean the rims of the jars. Center the lid over the jar, then add the ring. Seal until finger tight.
- Place jars into water bath canner and cover with at least 1 inch of water, Bring to a boil. Once the water begins to boil, process for 10 minutes. (Higher elevations may need to process for 15 minutes.)
- Remove jars from canner and place on a clean kitchen towel. Let the jars cool to room temperature, undisturbed, for 12-24 hours.
- Once cooled, check the seals and remove canning rings. Store in a cool, dark place for about 1 year and use as desired.
Notes
Is this a safe canning recipe?
This recipe was based on the pear butter recipe from Oregon State University, including the ingredients and processing time. The only changes are that I slowly cooked the pear butter down in the slow cooker (instead of doing it quickly on the stove) and I replaced half of the white sugar with brown sugar for a rich caramel flavor. I also added salt like this recipe from Ball. Salt is an optional ingredient in canning recipes, so this should not affect the safety of the final product.Storing Suggestions
If properly canned, your homemade pear butter can be stored at room temperature in a cool, dry place for about a year (or longer). Note: Remove the rings from your canned pear butter before storing in the pantry. If any of the jars lose their seal or show signs of a bad seal, dispose of the contents. If you do not follow canning instructions, it can be refrigerated for 2-3 weeks or frozen for several months. For freezing, I recommend adding the pear butter to your jars, leaving at least 1 inch of headspace. Chill the jars of pear butter in the fridge, then transfer to the freezer. This minimizes breakage.Servings: 6 half pints