Gingered Pear Butter
2 3-inch cinnamon sticks
2 tsp whole cloves
12 cups pears (peeled, cored and coarsely chopped)
½ cup lemon juice
¼ cup orange juice (more or less)
9 cups sugar
2 tsp ground ginger
Prepare the preserving jars. Put cinnamon and cloves in cheese cloth and tie top with string. Place pears and lemon juice in preserving pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cover, stirring frequently, for 20 minutes.
Add sugar, cheese cloth of spices, and ground ginger. Turn heat up to medium high and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Once mixture comes to a boil, reduce heat to simmer and cook for 45 minutes or until mixture is thickened.
Remove from heat and discard spice bag; skim of foam if necessary and stir 2-3 minutes. Ladle jam into hot sterilized jars and seal according to manufacturers instructions. Process jars in boiling water bath for 10 minutes.
Yield: 4 ½ pints (72 oz)
© Crackerberries 2012
