Easy Canned Pears in Light Syrup

Pear halves packed in light syrup in glass canning jars.

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These easy canned pears are hot-packed in a light syrup and processed in a boiling-water canner. This small-batch recipe makes 4 pint jars and includes altitude adjustments for safe water bath canning.

Prep Time25

Cook Time10

Processing Time20

Total Time55

Course: canning

Cuisine: American

Servings: pint jars

Calories: 468kcal

Author: Jeri Walker

Ingredients

For the Pears

5 pounds ripe but firm pears such as Bartlett, Anjou, or Bosc
3 tablespoons bottled lemon juice for browning solution
4 cups cold water for browning solution

For the Light Syrup

3 cups water
¾ cup granulated sugar

Instructions

Prepare the canner and jars. Fill a boiling-water canner with enough water to cover the filled jars by at least 1 inch. Begin heating the water. Wash the jars, lids, and bands in hot, soapy water and rinse well. Keep the jars hot until ready to fill.
Prepare the browning solution. Fill a large bowl with cold water and add 3 tablespoons of bottled lemon juice.
Prepare the pears. Wash and peel the pears. Cut them in half lengthwise and remove the cores, stems, and blossom ends. Place the prepared pear halves in the browning solution as you work to prevent discoloration.
Make the light syrup. Combine 3 cups of water and ¾ cup of sugar in a large pot. Heat over medium-high heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Bring to a boil.
Hot pack the pears. Drain the pears well and add them to the boiling syrup. Return to a boil, then boil gently for 5 minutes.
Fill the jars. Using a slotted spoon, pack the hot pear halves into hot pint jars. Ladle hot syrup over the pears, leaving ½ inch of headspace. Remove air bubbles and adjust the headspace to ½ inch if necessary.
Apply the lids. Wipe the jar rims clean. Center the lids on the jars and screw the bands on until fingertip-tight.
Process. Place the jars in the boiling-water canner, making sure they're covered by at least 1 inch of water. Cover and bring the water to a full rolling boil. Once boiling, process pint jars for 20 minutes at elevations up to 1,000 feet. Adjust the processing time for higher elevations (see Notes).
Cool. When the processing time is complete, turn off the heat and remove the canner lid. Wait 5 minutes, then carefully remove the jars with a jar lifter, keeping them upright. Cool undisturbed for 12-24 hours.
Check and store. Check the seals once the jars are completely cool. Remove the bands, wipe and label the jars, and store properly sealed jars in a cool, dark, dry place.

Notes

Altitude adjustments for pint jars: Process for 20 minutes at 0-1,000 feet, 25 minutes at 1,001-3,000 feet, 30 minutes at 3,001-6,000 feet, and 35 minutes above 6,000 feet.
Quart jars: Process for 25 minutes at 0-1,000 feet, 30 minutes at 1,001-3,000 feet, 35 minutes at 3,001-6,000 feet, and 40 minutes above 6,000 feet.
Asian pears: This recipe is intended for regular European pears such as Bartlett, Anjou, and Bosc. Asian pears require acidification. Add 1 tablespoon of bottled lemon juice to each pint jar or 2 tablespoons to each quart jar before processing.
Sugar: Sugar isn't required for safe canning. Pears can also be canned in plain water, apple juice, or white grape juice.
Syrup strength: This recipe uses a light syrup for a small 4-pint batch. For a full canner load of about 9 pints, use 6½ cups water + ¾ cup sugar for very light syrup, 5¾ cups water + 1½ cups sugar for light syrup, or 5¼ cups water + 2¼ cups sugar for medium syrup. You can also use apple juice, white grape juice, or plain water.
Browning solution: The lemon-water mixture is only used to prevent the prepared pears from browning. Drain the pears before adding them to the syrup; don't add the browning solution to the jars.
Unsealed jars: If a jar doesn't seal, refrigerate and use it within one week, freeze it, or properly reprocess it within 24 hours.
Storage: For best quality, use properly sealed jars within one year.

Nutrition