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How to Make Pear Butter: Spiced Pear Butter Recipe

Name: How to Make Pear Butter: Spiced Pear Butter Recipe
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 2 h 30 min
Total time: 2 h 45 min
Yield: 2 cups
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 5 pounds ripe pears, such as Bartlett pears, peeled, cored, and roughly chopped; ½ cup sugar (or substitute brown sugar, maple syrup, or honey); 1 tablespoon lemon juice, orange juice, or apple cider vinegar; 1 vanilla bean, scraped; 1 cardamom pod; 2 allspice berries; 1 cinnamon stick; 1 star anise pod; Pinch of salt

Written by MasterClass

Last updated: Sep 30, 2023 • 1 min read

Pear butter is an easy way to preserve pears by turning them into a sweet spread flavored with fall spices.

Learn From the Best

What Is Pear Butter?

Pear butter is a fruit butter made by cooking fresh pears until tender, then puréeing them into pear-sauce, and then reducing the pear-sauce into a dark, thick spread. It’s a great way to use up an abundance of pears.

3 Ways to Use Pear Butter

Pear butter is the perfect spread for whole-grain toast or a homemade English muffin. If you’re looking to get creative with pear butter, try it:

1. In a parfait: Infuse a granola-and-yogurt parfait with fall flavor by layering in pear butter.
2. On a cheese plate: Pear butter goes especially well with blue cheese.
3. On a sandwich: Pear butter makes for an unexpected sandwich spread when topped with pulled pork or sliced turkey.

Vanilla-Spiced Pear Butter Recipe

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makes

2 cups

prep time

15 min

total time

2 hr 45 min

cook time

2 hr 30 min

Ingredients

5 pounds ripe pears, such as Bartlett pears, peeled, cored, and roughly chopped
½ cup sugar (or substitute brown sugar, maple syrup, or honey)
1 tablespoon lemon juice, orange juice, or apple cider vinegar
1 vanilla bean, scraped
1 cardamom pod
2 allspice berries
1 cinnamon stick
1 star anise pod
Pinch of salt

1
In a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan or other wide, shallow pan over high heat, combine pears, sugar, lemon juice, and vanilla seeds with enough water to just cover.
2
Wrap the spices (including the empty vanilla seedpod) in a piece of cheesecloth and add to the pear mixture. Bring to a boil and immediately reduce to a lively simmer. Simmer until the pears are very soft, about 30 minutes.
3
Remove spice sachet and pass pears through a food mill into a bowl. If you don’t have a food mill, purée with an immersion blender or in a food processor.
4
Return pear purée to the saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally to prevent scorching, until the mixture has reduced significantly and is very thick and glossy, about 2 hours.
5
To test doneness, remove a spoonful of pear butter and let rest at room temperature, away from the steam, for 2 minutes. If the butter remains mounded on the spoon, it’s ready. Alternatively, spoon a little pear butter onto a chilled plate. If liquid runs off the pear butter, it needs more time.
6
When pear butter has reached the desired consistency, season with a pinch of salt. Spoon into jars and let cool to room temperature. Pear butter will keep, refrigerated, about 3 weeks.

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