Pear and Raisin Pie in Jars
I was given a flat of pears (13) from my friend Liz, straight from her grandparents garden. She had eaten her fill and thought maybe I could use them in jars. This recipe is great for a quick dessert – add to a baked pie shell and bake for 40 minutes at 350F. It would also be good in small tartlets or phyllo bundles and served with vanilla ice cream. I can imagine it would also taste fantastic over warm brie. Just sayin’ …
Buying guide is 3 pears: 1lb: 2¼ cups, cored and sliced
- 1 cup each: currants and sultanas (how British)
- ½ cup dried apricots, coarsely chopped (I left this out)
- grated zest and juice of 1 each: lemon and orange
- ½ cup brown sugar, unpacked
- 1 Tbs pie spice (or 2 tsp each cinnamon and nutmeg, ½ tsp ginger)
- pinch of salt
- 10 cups pears, cored, chopped, peeled. Let stand in lemon water and drain before using to prevent browining
- ¼ rum or port wine
In a large saucepan, combine the ingredients, up to the spices, and mix thoroughly. Gently fold in the pears, taking care not to bruise or break them, then bring to a boil over med-high heat. Lower heat, cover and let simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. Once thickened, remove the lid and continue to cook uncovered for another 15 to 20 minutes. At this stage, it should be thick enough to mound onto a spoon. Add rum and boil gently another 5 minutes.
Ladle the mixture (also known as mincemeat) into hot pint jars, leaving ½” of headspace. Remove any air bubbles, wipe the rim and seal. Process in a hot water bath for 20 minutes, ensuring the jars are completely submerged in water. This recipe should make 5 pint size jars and uses a dozen pears.
