Instructions

First, chop your pears and put them into a large pot, skin and cores and all. Add the apple juice, cloves, allspice, lemon juice, and a bag of earl grey tea to the pot.

Bring it to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook until the pears are soft. This can take about 30 minutes or more.

Remove it from the heat and let it cool. Mash the pears. Remove the tea bag and pour the pears into a food mill and reserve the juice and puree in a large bowl.  Toss out the seeds, stems, and other pieces of pear left in the mill.

Measure how much pear puree you have and pour it into a thick-bottomed pot. Add 1/4 to 1/3 cup of sugar for each cup of purée and stir.

Heat the purée at medium heat and allow it to reduce, stirring often to keep it from sticking or burning. Keep it cooking until it is thick enough to trace shapes with the spoon and see it on the bottom of the pan.

Prepare your canning jars while the pear butter is cooking down. Sterilize the jars by letting them rest in a gently boiling pot of water for ten minutes. If you are preparing this recipe for the water bath canner, put new canning lids in a bowl and pour boiling water over them.

Ladle the hot pear butter into the hot, sterilized jars, leaving a 1/4 inch of headspace. Wipe the edges of the jars and seal them with the hot lids. Use the hot water bath for 10 minutes to make sure they are sealed. If you are saving this as a freezer jam or something to be stored in the fridge and used quickly, you can use clean, sanitized jars and any lids you like.

Whatever method you use, make sure you label your pear butter clearly with the date by which it should be used.