Amber Pear Preserves with Slices

Cooking method

1. Step 1:

   

   Gather all your ingredients. For this preserve, I'd suggest not using overripe pears—they'll fall apart into mush. Choose firm, springy fruit that feels solid to the touch. I used regular white sugar, but there are lots of options now: coconut sugar will lend the preserve a light coconut aroma, and cane sugar will give it a caramel note.

2. Step 2:

   

   Wash the pears well—a fruit-and-vegetable wash and a brush work best here. Cut off the stems, remove the cores, and slice the pears about 1/8 inch (3–4 mm) thick.

3. Step 3:

   

   Put the sliced pears in the pot you'll cook the preserve in (a heavy-bottomed one is best).

4. Step 4:

   

   Add the sugar and let it sit for a few hours so the pears release their juice. Never add water to this preserve—it should be nothing but fruit and sugar.

5. Step 5:

   

   Once the fruit has released its juice, set the pot over the lowest heat. At this point, if you love spiced preserves, add your favorite spices: vanilla sugar or vanilla, cinnamon, ground ginger, cloves, and nutmeg all work beautifully. You can use vanilla pods, cinnamon sticks, and whole cloves (just remember to fish them out of the finished preserve), or ground spices instead—a pinch of each is plenty for aroma.

6. Step 6:

   

   Bring the preserve to a boil and cook over the lowest heat for 40 minutes, continually skimming off the foam that forms on the surface.

7. Step 7:

   

   Keep cooking until the preserve thickens and takes on a beautiful amber color.

8. Step 8:

   

   Wash the jars and sterilize them however you like. I put jars with a little water in the microwave for 5 minutes, but you can also sterilize them in the oven or simply scald them with boiling water. Boil the lids.

9. Step 9:

   

   Spoon the finished preserve into the jars and seal them with the lids. You can fill the jars while the preserve is hot or after it has cooled. No processing bath is needed—this preserve keeps fine in ordinary room conditions.

10. Step 10:

    

    Enjoy your tea!