It’s easy to get too much of a good thing, especially if that good thing is food-related.  I know I’ve suffered severely from gluttony: becoming jittery after too much coffee or chocolate or sugar, feeling far too full after ice cream or pizza, burning my tongue on hot sauce…  However, I couldn’t resist 26 pounds of pears this weekend.

I’d hoped to visit a pick-your-own stand for some apples and pears, but when a friend and I arrived, we found that there wasn’t any produce available except for the pre-picked stuff.  We were somewhat dismayed, but our faces lit up when the girl working at the stand told us there were some slightly overripe fruits we could have for ten cents a pound, if we wanted.  Of course, we did.   A note to you, dear reader:  investigate pick-your-own fruit stands!  They’re often ridiculously cheap (this weekend I spotted onions for a nickel each, pumpkins for two dollars, and tomatoes for fifty cents a pound), you get a bit of exercise, and you’re eating locally and sustainably.  Also, if you talk to the farmers or their assistants, you can usually get a good deal like we did.  

Overripe fruit is perfect for canning, which is what we’d had planned for our pears.  Pears are delicious fresh or cooked, and can be delicious when paired with cheese, wine, or any number of spices.   Because they’re in the rose family, (the pear’s Latin genus is Pyrus, and there are about 30 different species of pear), the fruits are also related to the apple and the quince.  The fruits have been cultivated broadly and for a long period of time:  they’re mentioned in The Odyssey, in Pliny’s texts, and the word pear occurs in all of the Celtic languages.  Interestingly, the Romans would not eat the pears raw, but stewed them with honey.

Pears are not only tasty, but also good for the eater.  They contain plenty of Vitamin C, and a decent amount of potassium as well.  A diet high in potassium can help to reduce a person’s risk of heart attack or hypertension.  Pears are also unlikely to be allergenic, and can improve lung and stomach health.  If you’ve got pears at home, but can’t eat them because they’re too hard, place them next to bananas in a fruit bowl.  The paers will ripen more quickly than they otherwise would.  

Though pears are delicious in tarts and pastries, they also preserve remarkably well (the fate that awaited my 26 pounds of tastiness).  Canning can be an economical way to keep fall’s bounty fresh through the winter – check back next week, as my article will feature more information about canning and preserving.  Though pear butter may take some effort to prepare, the work is well worth it.  The recipe below can be modified to suit your tastes, and the amount of fruit you have.  You can also use the same methods to make apple butter.   Happy canning!

Spicy Pear Butter
25 pounds of pears, peeled and seeded
At least 3 cups white sugar
¼ cup lemon juice
Ginger
Cinnamon

Heat the pears in a large saucepan on the stove until tender, about 30 minutes. 

Once the pears are soft, blend them until smooth.  You can also leave the pears larger if you’d like a chunkier sauce. 

Place them back into the saucepan, and add sugar to taste, ½ cup at a time.  Add the lemon juice, and cinnamon or ginger to taste as well. 

Simmer until the sauce reaches its desired thickness, which will probably take at least an hour.