Slow Cooker Pear Butter

Pear Butter

I had some pears I needed to do something with.  The family got tired of eating pears.  Before I would even ask if they would like a fresh pear, I got a resounding NO!  I thought of canning them but I wanted to try something different.  The family loves Apple Butter, so I decided to try making some Pear Butter.   A tasty thick spread that is spiced with star anise, cinnamon, and lemon zest.  A perfect spread for toast, scones, muffins, biscuits, etc. To begin you peel, core, and chop pears and place them in a crock pot.  To the crock pot add brown sugar, star anise, a cinnamon stick, and some lemon zest.  Cover the crock pot and cook on high for 4 hours.  I let the pears cool for an hour before I pureed them in my food processor.  Once the pears were pureed, I put the mixture back in the crock pot and cooked them another  4 hours on high uncovered.  The mixture was thick and browned.  You can refrigerate your butter if you are going to use it in the near future.   It can keep up to 3 weeks in the fridge. You also "can" the pear butter.


Slow Cooker Pear Butter

                     
Special Equipment:  Crock pot – round 3-1/2 quart
6 half-pint canning jars with rings and lids


Ingredients:

5 pounds chopped pears that have been peeled and cored
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 star anise
1 cinnamon stick
1 teaspoon lemon zest


Directions:

1. Place all of the ingredients in the crock pot and stir.  Cover and cook on high for 4 hours.
2. Cool pear mixture for 1 hour.
3.  Remove cinnamon stick and star anise. Set aside. Process pear mixture (in batches) in a food processor.
4. Return pureed pear mixture, cinnamon stick, and star anise to the crock pot.  Cook on high, uncovered, for 4 hours or until the pear mixture is thick and brown.
5. Remove the cinnamon stick and star anise.  Pour the mixture into air tight containers and refrigerate or pour into hot sterilized jars and seal.  Leave about ¼ - inch space between the pear butter and the jar rims.
 

Makes 6 half-pint jars

Sterilize Jars:  Run the jars through the short cycle of you dishwasher.

Canning Pear Butter:  Pour boiling water over the canning lids.  Wipe the rims of the jars clean before putting on the lids.  Once the lids and rings are on the jars, place them in a hot water bath for 10 minutes.

Hot Water Bath:  A steaming rack is place in a large pot of boiling water that covers the jars by an inch.  

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