Homemade Pear Sauce

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Easy homemade pear sauce recipe made with fresh pears. You will love how easy it is to enjoy pears all year long with this canning pear sauce recipe.

Homemade Pear Sauce

Nothing tastes more like fall than a delicious homemade Pear Sauce made with fresh pears. Such a great way to enjoy pears all year long and a great solution for using up any ripe pears that you might have on hand.

This recipe is similar to making a homemade applesauce recipe but even more simple.

It’s that time of year, isn’t it? I love fall and all of the things that go along with it. My kids are back in school and that means more hours in the day to get some of these baking and cooking projects done, especially as we clean up the garden, berry patches and fruit trees.

We are lucky enough to have neighbors that offer up their remaining pickings, so we try to utilize everything we can as we head into winter. This year I am spending a few days in the kitchen with friends, which makes canning even more fun.

I’ve tried this recipe with a variety of pears, so the kind of pears that you use can vary – but will also definitely effect the flavor.

If you have a pear tree, this simple recipe is a great way to use up an abundance of pears and put them to good use. If you don’t grow your own, then watch the grocery store for the best prices on popular pears (bartlett pears, asian pears and bosc pears all seem to work great with this recipe).

Depending on which style of batch of pears that you use, you might end up with a different flavor.

Last week I shared with you my directions on How to Can Tomato Sauce. We always have an abundance of tomatoes, it seems to be my specialty. Early on in our gardening days, I started looking for ways to take advantage of this, and I started to grow my collection of Canning Supplies.

If you have intentions of doing more canning in the future, this is a great idea and these are very useful things for years to come. Most importantly, invest in a good Water Bath Canner. Ball makes a really nice electric water canner that is pretty nice as well. Just remember to select quality canning appliances that will last you though the years, and regardless of what products you use, the directions are pretty simple.

If you have pears to spare (or find a great deal on them at the farmers market!) this sauce is a wonderful way to put them away for use later. You can use this sauce as a side, like apple sauce, and we love it as a topping. It is delicious served with ham or pork chops (my kids LOVE it on their pork chops!)

Homemade Pear Sauce

Ingredients:

• Pears

Equipment and Supplies Needed:

• Water Bath Canner
• Canning Supplies (lids, rims, jars, jar lifter, etc)
• Sauce Maker/Food Strainer (this is a nicely priced one that gets great reviews)

Note: I have heard of people using food processor techniques or a potato masher, but I found that this process with the food strainer creates a smooth sauce and is an easy way to make this homemade pear sauce recipe.

How to Make Pear Sauce

Step One – Wash the pears well with produce wash. Slice the size of the pears so that they are small enough to go through your sauce maker (I cut mine in quarters).

Step Two – Run the pears through the sauce maker following the directions of your model. To get extra pulp, run the extra pear pieces and scraps back through the sauce maker.

Step Three – Place the pear puree in a large stock pot and simmer for 20 minutes or until the sauce begins to cook down and thicken up a bit. At this point you can add in spices such as cinnamon if desired. No sugar is needed since pears are so sweet!

Step Four – Wash your jars thoroughly with warm water and soap. Place the pear sauce into the jars. Wipe rims of the jars with a clean towel so that there is no residue on the rims. Begin to warm the water in your water bath canner. You will need enough water to cover all of the lids of the jars.

Step Five – Place the lid and rim on the jar and secure.

Step Six – Place the jars of pear sauce into the canner. Ensure that there is at least 1 inch of water above the lids of the jars. Bring the water to a boil.

Step Seven – Boil the jars in the water bath canner for 20 minutes for pints and 25 minutes for quarts.

Step Eight – Once the time is up, turn off the heat to the canner and let the water stop boiling. Gently remove the jars with a jar lifter and place on a dry towel on a flat surface. Do not touch the lids of the jars, they should seal on their own within an hour of removing them from the canner.

This is a wonderful recipe that the entire family can make together and the end result is a delicious pear sauce that you can use in so many ways.

Tips for Canning Pear Sauce

Big kids can be helpful throughout the process. Use your own personal preferences as you make this one of your favorite recipes. We have added cinnamon sticks, brown sugar and fresh lemon juice, which all make for wonderful variations of this recipe. For a real kick, try adding some fresh ginger or even vanilla extract!

How to thicken Pear Sauce 

I like a smoother pear sauce, but if you like a thicker version it’s an easy fix! Add cornstarch to fruit sauces to thicken them. If you are going to try this, make sure to mix cornstarch with a cool liquid before adding to make sure that it doesn’t clump up in the boiling fruit mixture. If you can add it before the boiling without clumping, it should thicken it up nicely!

The natural sweetness of the pears means no need for added sugars – another of the wonderful health benefits of pears and this smooth pear sauce!

Use the sweetest pears for the best flavor, but we’ve even used not so sweet pears and had wonderful results. Use your judgement and preferences to decide on what your finished pear sauce will taste like. If it’s not sweet enough, you can always add a little apple juice or orange juice. We prefer a bit more of a rustic texture so I try to keep ours rather thick.

Note: Times/temps may need to be altered for altitudes. My times are based off 1500 feet above sea level. If any other products are added to the pear sauce (besides simple spices), times and canning procedures may need to be altered. 20 pounds of pears will yield roughly 6 to 7 quarts of pear sauce or 12 to 14 pints.

Recipes using Pear Sauce

You can enjoy your pear sauce so many wonderful ways. Great as a side, a topping, and especially delicious on vanilla ice cream! I’ve even heard of people adding pear sauce to muffins to make them extra moist and delicious! 

Happy fall, what things will you be canning? Will you be making any homemade pear sauce?

More Fruit Recipes

• Pear Salad with Feta
• Pear Smoothie
• Peach Mango Ice Cream
• Pineapple Smoothie Bowl
• Lemon Blueberry Loaf Recipe

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