Pear Vanilla Jam| Low Sugar
If you've never had pear and vanilla jam before, you're in for a real treat!
Course: condiment
Cuisine: American
Keyword: low sugar jam
Servings: 5 half pints
- 1/2 teaspoon calcium powder (from box of Pomona brand pectin)
- Approximately 3-1/4 pounds ripe pears (4 cups mashed)
- 1/4 cup bottled lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup cane sugar
- 3 teaspoons Pomona brand pectin
If you plan on canning this recipe, prepare your jars, lids, bands, canning pot, etc. following an approved canning practice such as outlined by the National Center for Home Food Preservation. Put 1/2 teaspoon of calcium powder into a small jar with 1/2 cup of water. Shake until combined and set aside. You will only use 1/2 teaspoon of this prepared calcium water for this recipe; the rest can be refrigerated for another day of making jam.
In a small bowl, stir the sugar and pectin powder together. Set aside.
Peel, core, cut up, and mash each pear. I find it is easier to mash them on my cutting board.You need 4 cups of mashed pears for this recipe. Add the measured mashed pears, lemon juice, vanilla extract, and 1/2 teaspoon of calcium water to a maslin pan, or other heavy bottomed pot; stir well.Place over medium-high to high heat; stir often. When it reaches a rolling boil, stir in the sugar/pectin mixture. Keep stirring until the sugar/pectin dissolves and it returns to a boil, then remove from the heat. Boiling water bathFollow an approved canning procedure and process for 10 minutes. Add 1 minute additional processing time for every 1000 feet above sea level.FreezingYou can freeze jam in half-pint or pint jars. Only fill to the "fill line" etched into the mason jars. This headspace allows for expansion. Alternatively, use a vacuum sealer to prepare flat packages for your freezer. I created another post, complete with video demonstration, explaining how to freeze liquids using a vacuum sealer.
- If you are freezing this jam, you can use freshly squeezed lemon juice (or bottled). If you are canning this jam stick with the bottled lemon juice as previously explained.
- You can mash the pears fully or leave them a bit chunky.
- Store the leftover calcium water in the refrigerator to be used for future jam making.