How To Preserve Pears

With the help of this guide you’ll learn How To Preserve Pears in no time at all! Through canning, freezing, and dehydrating, each method will help you keep your favorite fruit around longer.

Preserving Guide: How To Preserve Pears

When pear season arrives, many of us find ourselves with an abundance of this sweet, juicy fruit — which is why learning how to properly preserve it for year-round enjoyment is an invaluable skill!

Preserving pears is not only easier than you might think, but it helps put less stress on your wallet, and keep a healthy, delicious fruit in your home for even longer. For snacking, or recipes, or anything at all!

When To Harvest Pears

Pears should not ripen on the tree. Pick while still firm before any marked ripening occurs, or they will develop grittiness and the inner flesh will become discolored and soft. Pears should just begin to turn from a dark, leaf green color to a light yellowish green.

The seeds will be brown. There should be a springiness to the flesh as opposed to the rock-hard consistency of immature fruit. The flesh should give a little when squeezed. Stems should separate easily from the spurs with an upward twist.

How To Store Pears

Allow your pears to ripen on the counter first, then refrigerate.

Dehydrating Pears

• CUT: Cut in half and core. Peeling preferred. May also slice or quarter.
• DIPPING: Ascorbic acid solution or fruit juice dip
• DEHYDRATOR: 24-36 hours
• APPEARANCE WHEN DRY: pliable, leathery

Canning Pears

QUANTITY: An average of 17 1⁄2 pounds is needed per canner load of 7 quarts; an average of 11 pounds is needed per canner load of 9 pints. A bushel weighs 50 pounds and yields 16 to 25 quarts – an average of 2 1⁄2 pounds per quart.

PREPARE PEARS:

Wash and peel pears.

Cut lengthwise in halves and remove core. A melon baller or metal measuring spoon is suitable for coring pears.

CANNING:

1. To prevent discoloration, keep pears in an ascorbic acid solution. Prepare a very light, light, or medium syrup or pack pears in apple juice, white grape juice, or water.
2. Boil drained pears 5 minutes in syrup, juice, or water.
3. Fill jars with hot fruit and cooking liquid, leaving 1/2-inch headspace.
4. Adjust lids and process in Boiling Water bath.

Freezing Pears

PREPARING PEARS

• Select full-flavored pears that are crisp and firm, not mealy in texture.
• Wash, peel and core.
• Slice medium pears into twelfths, large ones into sixteenths.

SYRUP PACK 

1. Heat pears in boiling 40 percent syrup for 1 to 2 minutes, depending on size of pieces.
2. Drain and cool.
3. Pack pears and cover with cold 40 percent syrup.
4. For a better product, add 3/4 teaspoon ascorbic acid to a quart of cold syrup.
5. Leave headspace.
6. Place a small piece of crumpled water-resistant paper on top to hold the fruit down.
7. Seal and freeze.