Pears In Minted Simple Syrup




Pears In Minted Light Syrup

Pears In Minted Simple Syrup

Cansanity
It is always a sign that the fall weather is just around the corner when fresh pears appear at the local farmers markets. You can use this method to preserve any variety of pear, but my favourite pear to use with this recipe is small Bartletts. They are the perfect size when halved, and their flavour is perfect with the minted simple syrup. I usually let the pears ripen a little by letting them sit for 3 days before canning. Don't let them sit too long though. If the pears are too soft, they will fall apart when you cook and can them. Make this preserve a snap to put together by growing your own mint in a garden pot, but be careful to keep the mint contained as it is an invasive plant if allowed to grow outside a pot.
YIELD : 6-500 ml jars
WATER BATH PROCESSING TIME: 20 minutes for altitudes of 1000 feet or below. Adjust processing time for other altitudes.
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Print Recipe
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Water Bath Processing Time 20 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Course breakfast, dessert, snack
Cuisine American, Canadian
Servings 18 servings
Calories 132 kcal

Equipment

  • canning pot
  • small saucepan with a lid
  • 8-litre pot with a lid
  • large bowl
  • wire basket or tray for bottom of the canning pot
  • jar lift
  • magnetic wand for lid placement
  • 6-500 ml sterilized jars with lids and rings
  • funnel

Ingredients
  

To make the minted water:

  • 1 cup mint leaves lightly packed
  • 1 cup water

To prepare the pears:

  • 6 lbs small Bartlett pears peeled, cored and halved
  • optional: 6 cups water and 1 cup bottled lemon juice to prevent the pears from browning

For the minted simple syrup:

  • 5â…” cups water
  • ¾ cup sugar
  • the strained, cooled, minted water

Instructions
 

  • Put the mint into the small saucepan and, using the back of a spoon, press the leaves into the pan to slightly bruise the mint. Add the water and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and put the lid on. Let stand 10 minutes.
  • Add the 5â…” cup water and ¾ cup sugar to the 8-litre pot so that you can turn it on to dissolve the sugar when you are done peeling the pears.
  • Wash, peel, core and halve the pears, and, as you are doing this, add the prepared pears to the solution of water and lemon juice. This will prevent the pears from browning.
  • Once all the pears are prepared, dissolve the water with the sugar in the 8-litre pot by heating the pot on the stove on medium-high. Once the sugar is dissolved, strain the minted water. Discard the solids and add the water to the syrup. Heat it through, but do not boil.
  • Drain the pears from the lemon-water and add them all at once to the 8-litre pot with the minted simple syrup. Heat to boiling and boil for 5 minutes. I put the lid on, but so that it is ajar. Watch that the syrup does not boil over. This process softens the pears and plumps it up a bit so that when you pack them in the jar they do not expand during water bath processing.
  • To the sterilized jars, add the halved pears to within 1" of the top of the jar. Pour the minted light syrup over the pears, leaving ½" headspace. Run a sterilized knife or a thin kitchen utensil around the jar to remove air bubbles. Top each jar with a washed and briefly warmed snap lid. (I put the snap lid in hot boiling water for 30 seconds, this softens the seal.) Add the sterilized ring and tighten to finger tip tightness. Process using the boiling water method in a canning pot for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, turn off the stove and leave the pot with the pears covered for another 5 minutes. (This will help prevent liquid from seeping out of the jars when you remove them from the canner. Note: there is always a bit of siphoning after removing the jars. As long as the liquid fills the jar halfway after processing, and the jars properly seal, the pears are shelf stable for a year.)
  • Remove the jars and set them out on a wooden board or metal rack to cool and seal. Don't disturb the jars for 24 hours.
  • Remove the rings and inspect the jars. If some of the liquid has leaked out onto the jars, wipe them clean with a soapy cloth. Store the jars without the rings on in a dark cool place for up to a year.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving=â…“ of a 500 ml jarCalories: 132kcalCarbohydrates: 32gProtein: 1gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 11mgPotassium: 181mgFiber: 5gSugar: 23gVitamin A: 149IUVitamin C: 13mgCalcium: 25mgIron: 1mg
Keyword home-canned, mint, pear, water bath processing
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