I’m a lazy canner you guys…
I adore canning and especially love surveying the pretty rows of brightly colored jars when I’m finished, but you can bet that if I can safely take a “shortcut,” I will.
Take my home-canned applesauce for example. The vast majority of applesauce recipes insist you peel the apples first. But if you’re me, you simply quarter them, core them, and toss them in the pot, peels and all. (And if you have a food mill, it gets even easier!)
When I decided to can pears last weekend, I was slightly dismayed to find that all the recipes called for peeling (not an easy task with a slippery, slimy pear) and then batch-cooking the fruit in heavy sugar syrups.
Blah.
This was not fitting with my lazy highly-efficient style of canning…
So I decided to make some adjustments. Now, generally, canning recipes are NOT something you want to adjust too much, as usually the “rules” are in place to keep the food safe to eat (for example–getting rebellious and canning low-acid food in a water bath canner instead of a pressure canner is a BAD idea).
However, after a little research I determined the edits I wanted to make would still allow me to produce SAFE canned pears with a bit less work. Score!
You’ll find two main changes in this canned pears recipe:
1) I did not peel my pears. Most people choose to peel them to avoid the grainy texture, but honestly, this doesn’t bother me too much. You can definitely still peel them if you like, or you can just be lazy like me and leave them intact.
2) I did not use sugar. At all. In many canning recipes, sugar acts as a preserving agent, however in canning peaches and pears, it is just for sweetness, which allows us to safely omit it. You can use honey if you like, but my pears were delectably sweet already, so I didn’t want to muddy the crisp pear flavor.
How to Can Pears Without Sugar
You Will Need:
- Firm, ripe pears (it generally takes 2-3 lbs of pears to fill one quart jar)
- Water
- Lemon juice (for pretreatment– optional)
Instructions:
Wash the pears and halve or quarter them. Remove spoiled spots. (You can peel them if you wish, but I didn’t!)
Allow the pears to soak for 2-3 minutes in a lemon juice bath. This helps to prevent discoloration. I mixed roughly 1/2 cup of lemon juice with 1 gallon of water, and then briefly washed/dipped the pears in the solution. (It definitely worked too! My pears didn’t discolor one bit).
Pack the pears into hot, sterilized jars.
Cover the pears with boiling water, leaving 1/2-inch headspace.
(If you are new to canning, here is my complete water bath canning tutorial)
Process in a boiling water canner: 25 minutes for pints, 30 minutes for quarts.
Enjoy your home canned pears in homemade yogurt, oatmeal, or straight from the jar! You can even use them to make my new favorite dessert: rustic pear tart with cream & spice.
Canning Pears Recipe Notes:
- If you would like to sweeten up your pears a bit, you can add honey to your boiling water mixture. You’ll need to play around with the amounts, depending on how many pears you are canning and how sweet you’d like them to be.
- Avoid mushy, over-ripe pears for this recipe. Firm, ripe ones are the best.
- If you aren’t going to peel your pears, I suggest selecting organic varieties, as the peel often holds many of the icky chemicals.
- Looking to can peaches without sugar too? Try my Honey Cinnamon Canned Peaches.
- If you don’t want to can whole pears, try making pearsauce instead.
- Why cold-pack instead of hot-pack? Many canned pear recipes call for you to cook the pears first. Although this is the method most often recommended, I found that many folks like to simply cold-pack their pears as well. The benefits of cold-packing are less mushy fruit and less work, although some folks complain that cold-packed pears are prone to shrink a bit after you jar them and float to the top. That doesn’t bother me much, but if you are concerned, simply cook your pears for 5 minutes in the boiling water before you place them in the jars. Proceed to fill the jars with the hot cooking liquid, and voila! You’ll have hot-packed pears.
- Does canning totally stress you out? Trust me, I have totally been there! Here are my best tips for no-stress canning.
How to Can Pears Without Sugar
Ingredients
- Firm, ripe pears (it generally takes 2-3 lbs of pears to fill one quart jar)
- Water
- Lemon juice (for pretreatment– optional)
Instructions
- Wash the pears and halve or quarter them. Remove spoiled spots. (You can peel them if you wish, but I didn’t!)
- Allow the pears to soak for 2-3 minutes in a lemon juice bath. This helps to prevent discoloration. I mixed roughly 1/2 cup of lemon juice with 1 gallon of water, and then briefly washed/dipped the pears in the solution.
- Pack the pears into hot, sterilized jars.
- Cover the pears with boiling water, leaving 1/2-inch headspace.
- Process in a boiling water canner: 25 minutes for pints, 30 minutes for quarts.
- Enjoy your home canned pears in homemade yogurt, oatmeal, or straight from the jar!
farmmom says
September 19, 2014 at 7:59 amI am with you on the “high-efficiency” canning. I don’t can pears! I used to but when the kiddos would take them out of the jar they would just mash them up to put in oatmeal. I make pear sauce and don’t peel them for that either. We make pear muffins with the sauce too! Ok, now I’m hungry!
Jill Winger says
September 23, 2014 at 8:39 amPear muffins sound heavenly!
Dawn E says
August 18, 2016 at 11:47 amI canned pears in plum sauce a couple years ago. Not good if you want big pieces of pear because the acid in the plum breaks down the pears. Was never big on pears, but they were amazing.
Julia says
September 19, 2014 at 10:13 amOne of my favorite blogs. And now I’m listening to you talk. Amazing I had no when I came to,convention you were this person
Jill Winger says
September 23, 2014 at 8:39 amSo glad you got to come to Convention Julia! 🙂 Wasn’t it awesome?!
Carole says
September 20, 2014 at 1:27 amI’ve canned pears for years,and although I do peel them, I’ve always used a light syrup, even though the Rodale canning book says you can use water. I think I may have done that one year. lol
Mrs. C says
September 20, 2014 at 10:12 pmThanks for posting this. I like to cut sugar when I’m able.
Jenna says
September 22, 2014 at 8:25 amYum. I’d love to can some pears. I’m right there with you on making things as easy as possible when canning. I’d also omit the sugar when possible. 🙂
Elizabeth Dettrey says
September 22, 2014 at 10:56 pmI thought the only way you could can fruit without sugar is to pressure can it? I am new at canning and would love to can fruit without sugar. Is this safe? And is there a link with more information on this?
Jill Winger says
September 23, 2014 at 8:38 amYes– it is an approved method to can fruits without sugar (b/c they have a high enough acid content to keep them safe) Here’s more info: http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/foodnut/09302.html
Genet E Harris says
August 26, 2017 at 3:47 pmYou could always preserve or add a bit of citric acid in your fruit if the “acid level” bothered you.
I do this sometimes. Citric acid (is basically Vit C powder) is used to prevent discoloration like the lemon juice above. It also raises the acidity level of your fruit to an acceptable level to water bath can.
Of course, one could argue that the lemon juice also does that.
Food for thought 🙂
I think either way your good though. Nothing to worry about !
Connie Anderson says
August 15, 2016 at 10:35 amWater bath method is used for fruits, pickles and tomato products,they are high acid products and water bath is effective in killing bacteria, etc. Pressure canning is needed for meats and vegetables. They are low acid.
Char Piotrowski says
May 21, 2018 at 5:58 pmI always put my canning in the oven instead of a water bath. I do this with beans and pickles. Will this work with pears as well?
Latrecia says
September 29, 2014 at 9:14 amThis is great! I was looking for a nice way to preserve some pears and came across this post. I’m also thinking about canning pear butter! Thanks for sharing!
Yanic says
October 5, 2014 at 12:44 pmAwesome! We picked rustic heirloom pears here in Quebec last week-end. These beautiful dark red and green juicy pears. So pretty in the jars with the skin!
Just for you : Our anti-browning solution : 1 gallon of water, 2 TBSP of salt, 2 TBSP cider vinegar… Does wonders!
Jill Winger says
October 7, 2014 at 3:36 pmThanks for sharing Yanic!
Cathy McLellan says
March 21, 2019 at 8:54 pmDo you rinse it off? It is quite salty.
Thanks Cathy
Debbie Wilde says
August 11, 2016 at 1:09 pmI have been canning for over 40 years. This sounds great!! How long will the pears last when canned like this?
Jill Winger says
August 17, 2016 at 3:11 pmThey should have the same shelf life as any other commonly canned food. 🙂
Torry says
September 7, 2016 at 1:47 pmCould you be more specific? 1 year? More?
Elaine R Toole says
September 6, 2017 at 11:23 pmI canned apples without sugar one time, but the apples lost some of their flavor after a few months. I have had success using apple juice when canning fruit.
donna a says
August 17, 2016 at 8:16 amThere used to be a product out on the market years ago called Sure Gel Light that gave the instructions to make jams without sugar and I loved it because sugar just masked the flavor of the fruits. I can’t find it anymore and the ones I have found as options to all the sugar uses sugar substitutes or fruit juices instead when I would rather use just the fruit. Are there any sources that you know of that tells which ones must have sugar and which don’t need it?
Jill Winger says
August 17, 2016 at 3:00 pmHmmm… I have’t seen anything like that recently– have you checked Amazon?
Chickadee says
August 17, 2016 at 5:10 pmTry Pomona’s Universal Pectin
Emily says
October 19, 2016 at 2:54 amThere is a place that I have seen this item. King Arthur Flour has sure gel but I’m not sure in what quantities.
MCJam says
September 8, 2017 at 10:00 amI also highly reccomend Pamona’s Universal Pectin.
Packages or bulk. Workstead Industries, PO Box 1083 Greenfield, MA 01302. Telephone 413-772-6816. Also available online. No sugar needed, so you can use as much or little as you like.
★★★★★
JoAnne says
September 9, 2017 at 9:58 amTry Pomona’s Universal Pectin. We love it. Low sugar!
Margaret says
September 9, 2017 at 7:11 pmSure Jell light just replaced sugar with dextrose which is a corn sugar. See the ingredients here: http://www.kraftrecipes.com/products/sure-jell-pectin-light-1-75-oz–2112.aspx
Kathy says
September 10, 2017 at 7:58 amI follow the Paleo diet and found several jam recipes on the Internet. Look for Paleo recipes for jams. Hope this helps.
sharon says
August 17, 2016 at 8:21 amYou can also slip the pear skins just as one does with peaches by dipping them in hot water, then cold.
Violet says
August 22, 2016 at 3:25 pmI also scald and slip my pear skins like peaches. I peeled them for years, until someone told me that commercially they slip the skins. I’ve been doing it ever since, it sure saves a lot of mess.
Barb says
August 17, 2016 at 9:57 amQuestion: do you put the lids on after you put water into jars or after you have boiled the jars in the bath canner. It would seem that you put them on before as that what makes them seal, but I am a new at this and wanting to try canning. So just want to be sure. Thanks for all your interesting posts and helpful info, Jill.
God bless!
Barb
Jill Winger says
August 17, 2016 at 3:00 pmDefinitely before you process the jars in the canner– here’s my full canning tutorial: https://www.theprairiehomestead.com/2011/01/homemade-applesauce-and-a-canning-tutorial.html
Barb says
August 18, 2016 at 11:01 amThank you, Jill. You make it look easy! :0)
Lynne Sward says
August 17, 2016 at 9:30 pmThank you so much! I just knew I should be able to can peaches and pears without sugar! I will also add some cinnamon essential oil! Oh, I can’t wait! Now to find some peaches and pears!
Linda says
August 18, 2016 at 7:39 amI learned how to can fruit without sugar a long time ago from my grandmother. She use to say why ruin the fruit with all the sugar. I think however, that I will try a few with the skin on to see if I like it that, because your right not peeling them would be a lot easier.
Barbara Tanner says
August 24, 2016 at 5:26 pmI’m glad you mentioned the chemicals on the skin. I prefer
to peel the fruit.
I will try dipping the pears in the boiling water like I do the peaches.
I have judged at fairs and still like to see the foods neatly arranged
in the jars. I just did 46 quarts of peaches — so pretty. I used a very
light syrup 1 cup sugar to 4 to 6 c. water. Now am ready
to purchase the pears. I substitute pears when making apple
pies or using 1/2 and 1/2 for a great flavor. Thanks for sharing the
recipe for the anti-browning solution.
Barbara Tanner says
August 24, 2016 at 5:29 pmP. S. I do like to pressure can my foods.
5 lbs. pressure for 8 min. on peaches and pears.
Sandra williams says
September 4, 2016 at 8:31 pmIs it alright to can green pears along with ripe ones? Or should I wait until they
rippen before I can them?
Jill Winger says
September 8, 2016 at 4:02 pmI’d let them ripen first– will give better end result.
Jayme johnson says
September 10, 2016 at 11:17 amLoved reading this it’s like you took the words right outta my mouth!
Meghan says
September 11, 2016 at 12:50 pmThanks for the super easy instructions! I’ve jammed for years and am now trying my hand at canning… Peaches earlier and pears now. I have a batch in the water bath right now; pealed and with a super light honey water… My 6 year old son is convinced we are having them for lunch! This batch is Flemish, and the next will be Bosch. Sincere thanks for the efficient method!!
Joan scott says
September 11, 2016 at 4:20 pmGetting back into canning & my neighbor gave me a ton of firm pears. Haven’t canned pears before. Question: I don’t have canning type cooker, can I just boil the jars after filling to create a safe seal?
Desiree Smith says
September 26, 2016 at 5:53 amI don’t see why not if the pot you’re using is deep enough to cover the jars. I made raspberry jam once and my canning pot was packed up. I used my big cooking pot and it worked like a charm. Every single jar sealed. In a pinch, I would say yes.
Jessica Bernier says
September 22, 2016 at 12:12 amThank you! I just learn to can this week. The dad of my husband have two pear trees. They canned 1/3 of it and the rest finish in the compost…. I had to do something. I’m pretty sure friend will enjoy it.
Jill Winger says
September 27, 2016 at 11:30 amWay to go Jessica!
darlene peterson says
August 21, 2017 at 8:27 ami want to can diced pears. not sure when they are ripe enough to can. can i used diced pears in the same way as sugarless whole or half pears?
Vicky Carlson says
September 6, 2017 at 10:32 amThank you. This is very helpful. I like the no sugar option very much.
★★★★★
Carolyn Sullins says
September 6, 2017 at 10:58 amI prefer using the pressure cooker, how long would I pressure them and at what pressure? I am referring to the canned pears of today’s newsletter.
Lorrie says
September 6, 2017 at 11:45 amI am even lazier than you, uh, more efficient. As we generally eat our pears on toast or pancakes or waffles, I simply press the quartered pears down into the jars until the space is all used up. just pears, no air except at the top, and no water. That way, the flavor of the pears is not washed into the canning water. they come out tasting very close to fresh. They last at least over a year, and, as food should be eaten within that time for best nutrition, I am happy! This is my second year of using this method and we are still finishing up the pears from last year, which look perfect still.
Thanks for this blog, I am always learning something!
Joni says
September 6, 2017 at 8:32 pmAnother way of canning pears without sugar which I’ve been doing for 40 years is in pineapple juice. Buy it in large cans. Not only are the pears delicious but they are beautiful in the jars with that pineapple juice. Plus you can drink the juice after eating the pears!
JoAnne says
September 9, 2017 at 10:00 amTry Pomona’ s Universal Pectin for low sugar canning. We love it!
Carol Akam says
September 18, 2017 at 8:30 pmMy mother always canned when I was growing up. Then I worked in an office and never did it myself. After retirement , I started canning and love the way it looks and tastes. I use very little sugar and it tastes great on applesauce or peaches. I also can tomatoes. Its so relaxing and tastes so wonderful. Plan to use your advise on canning pears. Loved the comments.
Doni says
September 20, 2017 at 11:51 pmTry adding 1/2 slim slice of lemon to your pint jar. Keeps the pears white and adds a nice tang to the pears and juice. My Mother did this and I have been doing it for years.
★★★★
Rick White says
October 22, 2017 at 9:15 amI just finished canning my pears with a half inch of head room and after they sat over night the liquid level dropped about 2 inches. Is this safe to store on shelf. Thanks
Vicki says
October 22, 2017 at 1:16 pmIn my canning class we were told the peelings on fruit contain a large amount of bacteria, and that’s why we should take it off before canning.
Iris Crawford says
February 13, 2018 at 6:17 pmThat and chemicals! I would be very leery of eating any canned fruit with the skin intact. I was taught to peel, core, and remove all blemishes.
★★★★
David Bair says
October 27, 2017 at 8:49 pmI have eaten pears that were canned for 6 years and they were very good.They were pretty in the jars,
★★★★★
David Bair says
October 27, 2017 at 8:54 pmMy friend likes fried green pears. I will try them sometime.
Moira says
March 2, 2018 at 8:08 pmAwesome how do you preserve plums
★★★★★
Kate Deslauriers says
May 11, 2018 at 12:28 pmI get enough Bosc pears from my one tree to can 5 or 6 jars. The Bosc, although ugly are quite firm and just perfect when peeled and sliced into quarter lengths. This cold bath technique works beautifully for me.I Mix and boil 1/2 water and 1/2 juice from my Gravenstein apples, which are harvested earlier, made into cider and frozen. I add cardamom and cinnamon sticks to some of them.These come out firm enough to make rustic tarts, but also soft enough to add to yogurt.
★★★★★
Shari says
August 21, 2018 at 3:15 pmI use a pressure canner, how long would you pressure can the pears for. I have been thinking about not peeling them because it really is time consuming!!
Judy Hilman says
September 6, 2018 at 12:06 pmour family has blood sugar issues so I can in either organic apple or white grape juice from Trader Joe’s. The canned fruit tastes more like fresh fruit. Never had a jar go bad.