Despite the fact that I’ve now made this jam twice in as many weeks, I don’t have any pretty progress shots of it. I made it once with a class and another time for a video shoot, so there just weren’t any moments to snap a few images. However, it tastes so good that I didn’t want to deprive you all of the opportunity to make it just because I wasn’t able to make time for photography.
This is truly a transformative jam for vanilla lovers. Flavor-wise, pears are fairly retiring, so they provide a perfect platform for the vanilla to shine. What’s more, when cooked, the pears take on a translucent, golden-y hue that allows all those vanilla bean flecks to show their stuff.
Last Saturday night, we had a party to celebrate my husband’s 34th birthday. As in traditional in our little family of two, we put together a board of eight cheeses for our guests. I pulled out a couple of jars of jam to serve as accompaniment, but it was this one that got all the love.
Paired with a runny triple creme, people were speechless with the goodness of it. Because I’m a girl who loves to share, I gave all the other jars away as late night party favors and now I’m totally out (I finished off the jar you see above yesterday). I may have to make another batch, so you may see those pictures yet.
Note: Often I’ll tell you that you can substitute vanilla extract for the more pricey beans. However, I do not recommend it in this recipe. If you can’t splurge on vanilla beans (they are really expensive these days), consider getting a small bottle of vanilla bean paste instead. I use 1 teaspoon for every bean a recipe calls for.
Pear Vanilla Jam
Ingredients
- 8 cups chopped Bartlett pears or any smooth, thin-skinned pear. There’s no need to peel.
- 2 vanilla beans split and scraped
- 4 cups sugar
- 1 packet liquid pectin
Instructions
- Prepare a boiling water bath canner and 6 half pint jars. Wash 6 lids in warm, soapy water and set aside.
- In a large, heavy-bottomed pot, combine chopped pears, sugar and vanilla beans (and all that bean-y goodness you scraped out). Cook over medium heat until the fruit can easily be smashed with the back of a wooden spoon. Use a potato masher or immersion blender to break the fruit down into a mostly-smooth sauce (remove the vanilla bean solids before blending).
- Add the pectin and bring to a rolling boil. Let boil for a full five minutes in order to active the pectin, so that the finished product will have a nice jammy consistency.
- Funnel finished jam in the prepared jars, leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Wipe rims, apply lids and rings and process in a boiling water bath canning for 10 minutes (if you live above 1,000 feet in elevation, adjust your processing time accordingly).
- When the processing time is finished, turn off the heat under the pot and remove the lid. Let the jars rest in the cooling water for 5 minutes. When that time is up, remove the jars from pot and place them on a wooden board or towel-lined countertop.
- Let the jars rest undisturbed for at least 12 hours and then check the seals. Sealed jars are shelf stable for up to 18 months. Any unsealed jars should be refrigerated and used promptly.
Thank you for what looks like an excellent and delicious recipe!
I have a couple of questions re. substitutions because I’m in Europe and not in the US. I’ve never seen pectin for sale over here, so can I use preserving sugar in place of normal sugar and add the lemon zest and juice?
I’m also very interested in the “Processing” part. In Britain and Ireland – where I’m from – people make jam, cover it with a disc of waxed paper and screw on the lid while hot. I don’t recall ever having seen anyone boil the jam for a few minutes after that. I’ve just read the ‘Canning 101’ and was curious to see that it’s commonplace in the US, and safer to boot, but is it suitable for all kinds of jam? I’m going to make marmalade tomorrow and I don’t want to ruin a good batch of preserves by boiling it to bits 😀
I don’t know how much pectin is in preserving sugar, but I imagine you could give it a try.
As far as processing goes, it shouldn’t impact the finished quality, it just sterilizes the finished product and makes for a longer lasting product.
Thanks for taking the time to answer, I appreciate it. I guess I’ll just give it a whirl and see what the result is. I boiled my marmalade and it seems to have survived the process. I’ll make a second batch and I won’t process it, just to see if it makes any kind of difference – making marmalade for science, and all that.
Have you ever tried adding bourbon to this recipe? How do you think it would turn out?
I haven’t tried it, but I think it would be delicious!
This jam…is magical. Hands down, my favorite jam I’ve made this season, and you KNOW how many of your recipes I’ve made. Thank you!
Jenn! I am so happy to hear it!
I’m new to canning and up until now all my batches have turned out great (only 4 in total). This recipe was way too thick and sticky. It also only made 1 1/2 pints for me. I took it off before the full 5 mins after adding the pectin because I could see it was just getting too thick. What I can’t figure out is if I just cooked it down too long or if I added too much pectin. I added 2 tbsp of the powdered pectin. Also, I added 1 1/2 tablespoons of lemon juice because I wanted it a little less sweet (I used anjou pears). Did the lemon juice change anything? Any help in figuring out what I did wrong would be great! Also, is there a way to fix it?
It sounds like you cooked it too long. That’s what would account for the texture and the smaller yield. And, if it was really thick before you added the pectin, you probably didn’t need the pectin at all.
Thanks, good to know! Love your new book. I’ll be trying the pear chocolate next and I’ll keep this in mind when trying it.
Bummer, as a pear novice I didn’t know I had asian pears cooking until I read through the comments. Good thing I did! I ended up finishing and then instead of water bath canning I froze the results. I’m hoping to find a use for them (they are tasty!)
Suggestion: You might want to note not to use Asian Pears in the instructions for those of us not as pear familiar.
Thanks!
This Jam was very good but after making another pear jam, it had more of a true “pear” taste. I think it was because the other recipe had less sugar. I would make this again but with less sugar. I would try at least 1 cup less of sugar, maybe 2 1/5 to 3 cups of sugar per recipe. This recipe definetly has a strong vanilla flavor which masks the pear taste also. So just be aware of that if you are looking for a real strong pear flavor.
I recently read a recipe in which butter was added to the jam being made and it blew mind. Lol. I have yet to try it, but is it ok to add butter to jams and then can them. Does it affect the preserving process? Could I do it to this one?
Both nervous and excited!!!
Thanks, M.
When you add butter, you do it to control the foaming action of the jam, and you only add 1/2 teaspoon or so. So it doesn’t impact the safety because it’s such a small amount.
Is it safe to sub in some high quality vanilla paste for the vanilla bean in this recipe? Thanks in advance!
Is it possible to substitute real vanilla extract for the vanilla beans in the Pear Vanilla Jam recipe?? If so, how much vanilla extract? Thank you!
Unfortunately, the flavor quality isn’t nearly the same and so I don’t recommend it.
thanks for your input! I will get the beans.
can i use asian pears for this jam?
Unfortunately, you cannot. Asian pears are too low in acid to be safe in this recipe.
thank goodness one of those jars didn’t seal. otherwise i’d feel way worse about keeping one for myself. so yummy! pretty color, too, spotted all over with little vanilla seeds. very nice one. i’m thinking oatmeal, yogurt, ice cream? and, of course, cheese.
I made this for the first time 2 weeks ago…..and it’s gone! Such a huge hit with family and friends. We ate a whole jar with blue cheese and crackers.
This recipe is so easy to make I whipped together another batch last night while dinner was in the oven.
Thanks so much for this recipe. I have made it 3 time now with a couple of alterations. I added cinnamon and I cut the sugar in half. I also used Pamona’s Pectin which allows for much less sugar. My question for you is does it need lemon juice added for safety with these changes? Pamona’s paperwork called for 1/4 cup lemon juice for every 4 cups of cooked pears. I thought pears were acid enough on their own? I put some lemon juice in each time I made it, but I imagine the flavor is quite different without it. Can I lesson the sugar (1/2 the amount) and use Pamona’s Pectin without adding the lemon juice and still be safe to can? Thanks for your help!
This jam was very easy to make, and a big hit with my family. I used regular pectin instead of liquid, I peeled the pears, and I used a potato masher once the sugar had all liquified. I used 4 oz jam jars and the batch made 12 4 oz jars & 2 8 oz jars. Plenty of jam for sharing around. Thanks for the recipe! 🙂
Thanks so much for this recipe – it.is.fabulous. Happens to be my two favorite flavors in the world! I used Keifers from our backyard tree. Next batch (oh yes, there will definitely be many more batches) I’d like to reduce the sugar, because our pears are super sweet. Should I use more pectin, cook longer, etc? I’d like to avoid low-sugar pectin if possible, because I live in a small town & it’s very difficult to find.
JaxTex,
If you add too much pectin your jam can get super stiff or even gritty. If you can’t find low sugar/no sugar pectin I suggest buying some from Amazon (or walmart, etc).
Is powder pectin ok to use instead of liquid for this van pear recipe?
Yes. Swap in two tablespoons of powdered pectin for every packet of liquid pectin called for. Whisk the pectin into the sugar before combining it with the fruit.
Is this rule for all recipes (jam) or just this one? So many call for liquid, butI rarelyhave that on hand. Thanks so much for all you share! If you do a weekend in Southern central PA or MD I am so there!
That is the rule for most jams. All the recipes in my cookbook can be converted in that manner.
Marisa, I just ran across your site recently and had no idea sites such as yours existed. SO interesting and helpful. I’m sorry. Due to the last ice storm two years ago (we were on a generator for 22 days and my husband turned my freezer up to 30 degrees ! ! ), I have the equivalent of 84 pints of peach slices, packed in a variety of fruit juices (mostly white grape), taking up space in my freezer that have lost their texture and no one will eat them. I want to make a last ditch effort to salvage them by turning them into a sweet spread of some sort. I’m thinking jam, but am open to suggestions. Something simple; I’m not good at telling when to quit, but am going to try out the candy thermometer tomorrow. What do you think? Thaw out 8 cups peaches/juice; add 3.5 cups sugar; bring to boil; add 2T powdered pectin; then boil pretty hard till it hits 220? Please, lend me some expertise. I’ve overcooked so much good fruit (not that this is; but, it WAS). What would you do? Thanks.
I’d go for peach butter, probably. It cooks for so long that the loss in texture shouldn’t matter. Look in the recipe index for the first post on fruit butters, it will give you the basics. They should also be good in smoothies.
This is the first jam I’ve ever made on my own and I’m pleased overall with the results. Thank you! However, I do have a few questions. You do not specify which type of liquid pectin to use. Certo apparently makes a regular version that says one must use 7+ cups of sugar or the recipe will not set up (blue box) and another version that is for low to no sugar (pink box). I gambled and bought the blue box. Since I wanted to use your quantity of sugar (4 cups) I disregarded the Certo box’s admonitions about using more sugar. I also added 1/4 C. of fresh lemon juice to perk it up a bit. And because I like spicy foods, I added some diced chili peppers from our garden, thus making it “Pear Vanilla Pepper Jam.” The result was more the consistency of a fruit spread than a jam. I’m happy with it but wonder if I used the wrong pectin based on your instructions?
Debra,
If you only use 4 cups sugar it’s considered to be “low sugar” jam & you would need to use low/no sugar pectin. The main difference between regular pectin & low/no sugar pectin is that the regular pectin uses the sugar to create the chemical reaction that causes the jam to gel. In low/no sugar pectin they add calcium to the pectin to cause the chemical reaction instead of the sugar. If you really don’t like the consistancy of the jam you can recook it, but it will require you to buy new lids for your jam jars.
Hello, I made this recipe today and it smelled and looked so good, tasted pretty good licking the spoon with the leftovers.
What can I do with the leftover vanilla bean pod? I cooked it with my recipe so it has been cooked, so instead of throwing it away, which I hate to do because they are so expensive, is there anything I can do with the pods??
Dry it out and tuck it into a jar of sugar. It will flavor the sugar beautifully.
I have made two batches of this jam and it’s wonderful. I used Nielson-Massey Madagascar Vanilla Bean Paste which I buy at my local grocery, $10.00 for 4 oz.; 1 tablespoon = 1 vanilla bean or 8 beans per jar. I actually find that I get a better, cleaner vanilla flavor than I do with real vanilla beans in recipes such as this one where the vanilla is front and center. I make a vanilla bean ice cream with the paste that always gets raves as does this jam. Thanks for sharing.
Please help, Marisa! Yours is the first jam I’ve tried making and I followed the directions to a T. I don’t think it “jelled” enough, though, and need some advice.
1. was I supposed to let it boil after adding the pectin until it was thick and jam-like and *then* put it in the jars and process it?
2. (here’s an odd one for you) can I – well, un-do it? pour it back in the saucepan and boil it longer to get it to “jam up”?
It’s not totally runny, by any means, but it certainly isn’t jam.
Thank you for any help you can give me.
Ellen, this is a soft-set jam. You won’t get a solid set from this recipe the way you would from a jam bought at the grocery store. Also, give it some time to set up, it can sometimes take several days (or more) for a jam to achieve its final set.
You are supposed to let the jam boil after adding the pectin until it is thick. The pectin needs time to activate.
If you want to redo the jam, the instructions are here: https://foodinjars.com.s164546.gridserver.com/arugulapesto/2011/08/canning-101-how-to-save-runny-jam/
I just made this too. It is amazing! Although mine is dark brown from the raw sugar.
Made this tonight – amazing! Thank you!
I’m planning on making this jam, but noticed in your YouTube video for this same jam you added a cup of filtered water to this recipe. I’m just wondering which way I should do it, with or without the water, since the recipe here doesn’t call for it. Also, have you ever tried making it without pectin (ala your pear cinnamon or pear lavender recipes, which are similar but use lemon juice)? Thanks for a great and inspiring blog, I have just ordered your cookbook!
Bobi, the recipe with the water leads to a softer jam and a slightly longer cook time. You could try to make this without pectin, but it will have a softer set than it has with the pectin.
I made this recipe yesterday, thank you for sharing, it was a huge hit.
We’re heading to Hood River this weekend. I’ll be buying more pears.
Hi Marissa,
I took your advice on the Facebook page regarding adding nuts to this recipe. I omitted the vanilla, added lemon zest, juice of 1/2 lemon, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and 1/2 C chopped Hazelnuts, it could take more cinnamon but it still tastes great.
Thanks for posting my pear party photo.
I love your website!
Lynn, it sounds amazing! I’m so glad it worked out for you. Thanks for adding your photo to the pool!
I would love to make this jam and some of your other recipes…but I would like to use a different pectin. I looked at a liquid pectin and it had BHT or some other preservative in it which I would like to avoid. So I have Ball RealFruit Low or No Sugar Pectin. Can I substitute? I could also get another regular pectin if that would be better but I would prefer to use a powder. Thank you for the lovely recipes and website!
Linda, the low and no sugar pectins react completely differently from the traditional pectins. If you want to use a traditional powdered pectin, you can substitute 2 tablespoons for every packet of liquid pectin. If you want to make this a low sugar jam recipe, I recommend going for Pomona’s Pectin and following their directions for jam, cutting the amount of pectin in half.
Thanks for posting the recipe. I’ll be making these tomorrow!
Up until last night my husband has been pleasant about my jam making, but rarely ate any of it on his own. When I asked him to taste the Pear Vanilla Jam his eyes lit up and he declared it the best thing he had ever eaten! After dinner I noticed that he was trying it on bread, brownies, and shortbread. This morning he asked if when we go to the farmers market I would buy pears to make more jam. ^_^. Thanks, Marisa, for another winning recipe!
P.S. I didn’t quite have 8 cups of pears so added one pear apple that retained some body, and a small red apple that left beautiful little red flecks throughout the jam.
Yum! This is divine! I had it at a neighborhood party with cheese and fell in love with it. I made a batch yesterday and added about 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom, with great results. Next time I will make it in a deeper pan, as it spattered a lot while cooking and I would prefer to keep it all in the pan instead of on my stove! 🙂
This recipe sounds really good. Can it be made with powdered pectin? And what adjustments would be necessary? Thank you!!!
Just finished making the pear vanilla jam, the recipe worked beautifully, thanks so much! I notice in the pear cinnamon jam (which seems to be the same recipe with a different flavor profile) that there is no pectin, can the pear vanilla jam be made without pectin as well?
Just made this and it turned out fantastic. I can’t wait to give away jars as gifts..but on second thought, I may keep it all to myself!
this sounds delish!!!!!
I made it tonight!! My husband and son loved it!!! I am new to canning and am totally in love with it! I did go a bit overboard with my purchasing of pears so I am wondering can I double the recipe with no problems?
Make two batches do not double for most fruit and jams. Fruit butters normally you can double as it does not depend on the ratio of fruit to pectin mix the pectin is in the fruit. If the butter is not frim enough use some tart apples in the next batch.
Thank you Robin I followed your advice and was successful . 🙂
How long will this jam keep unopened?
Once open, it is good as long as it remains free of mold. That is often months.
Marissa, I followed your receipe to the “T” but my jam came out very runny. I canned it and will call it a sauce but was wondering if you had any suggestions on how to fix some of the jars and make it thicker.
Madbat, sometimes you can’t follow recipes to the T. Not all pears are created equal, so it sounds like your particular batch may have needed more cooking time. These posts might help.
https://foodinjars.com.s164546.gridserver.com/arugulapesto/2010/07/canning-101-how-to-ensure-that-your-jam-sets/
https://foodinjars.com.s164546.gridserver.com/arugulapesto/2011/08/canning-101-how-to-save-runny-jam/
https://foodinjars.com.s164546.gridserver.com/arugulapesto/2012/08/canning-101-learning-to-be-flexible/
I love your blog and your recipes are fabulous! I am a newby when it comes to canning, made dill pickles for the first time last year and they were a hit with my three boys. This year I decided to branch out a bit. I made this jam last night and it smells so good, can’t wait to try it! I have also made the bruschetta, and the dilled beans, plan to make the peach jam this weekend. Thanks so much for your advice and expertise!
hey :). i made a variation of this jam last night, and i was wondering if i could save the vanilla bean and put it in vodka? (for the extract) or would that not work? i plan on adding more beans to it.. but 1 bean costs $5 so im trying to skimp…
thankyou 🙂
ps. i love your recipes 😀
You could certainly rinse the vanilla bean off and put it in a bottle of vodka. That’s not enough vanilla to totally create extract, but if you continue to add beans to the bottle, over time it will develop a nice aroma. If you’re going to be using a lot of vanilla beans, I recommend buying them in bulk over the internet. I like http://www.vanillaproductsusa.com/servlet/StoreFront, they have good prices and fast shipping.
I just ordered from them, I have a ton of pears.Very reasonably priced.
You can often find vanilla beans in the bulk bins at natural food stores. I am able to find them for about $2/bean.
Thanks for that tip, Christen! I often check the bulk section for spices & herbs that I don’t use often because I can get smaller amounts for less $, but for some reason I never thought to check there for vanilla beans.
Yay! They had vanilla beans in the bulk spice section. While not as inexpensive as ordering online, it was still a better deal to get 8 organic beans sealed in a zip-lock bag for the price of 1 or 2 beans in a jar from the baking aisle!
Darnit! I have no vanilla beans and pears are on sale this week. Unfortunately the only place to get them in my small town are the $7/bean type jars at the grocery store. Pear butter with cinnamon it is! And I’m ordering some vanilla beans from ebay today so next time I’m prepared!
I just made a batch of this after finding pears on sale for a dollar a pound – it is incredible! My 5 and 3 yr olds ate some straight from the pan mixed with plain yogurt. I am also thinking it would make an amazing filling for layer cake … And this is just the perfect amount to make – thanks so much!
So glad you like it!
Hi! I just made a batch of this, and think it’ll go great with cheeses. It’s almost to sweet to eat alone, and I was really surprised at the flavor – its so mellow compared to the strawberry jams. It reminds me of French farm breakfasts: third of a warm baguette with a soft cheese and an apricot jam spread on top and a bowl of black tea. Thanks so much for this recipe!!
Marissa- I made it and love the flavor, but because my pears were not that ripe I cooked it down too long so with the added pectin it’s extremely firm. Thoughts? Its canned already and I want to make another batch should I mixed the previous batch with the other with out pectin? Or am I asking for trouble.
Also other serving suggestions other than goat cheese?
Angela
I just made this, thinking of using it as Christmas presents – I’m completely delighted. I’d had high hopes for other canning projects as gifts (homemade grape jelly, apple butter, hot veggie mix) but none of them really seemed special enough until this recipe. I wasn’t sure what kind of pear to use, since it isn’t specified, but I chose bartletts and they worked great. Thanks for a wonderful recipe and an addictive blog!
just used this recipe for my first time ever canning. can’t wait to do more! thank you for sharing great recipes on such a fantastic blog!
Do you think apples would work for this as well?
Well, I’ve changed my mind. After letting the jam sit for about a week and trying it again. (This time on toast.) I am in love with it’s soft and subtle flavors. The raspberry amaretto I made is bold. This jam serves a very different mood, so I made a mistake in trying to compare them. I am very pleased with this jam, and I’m sure I’ll be making it again.
I just made this jam and love it, but it’s a bit too sweet for me. Can I cut the sugar in half and still have it turn out ok?
Thanks!!!
I made this yesterday and I’m not a huge fan. It smelled fantastic while cooking but today when I served it on pancakes it wasn’t as vanilla-y as I would have liked. It was good, but not as good as the raspberry amaretto jam I made last week. Maybe my vanilla beans weren’t high enough quality. With all the rave reviews this recipe has received I have to assume it was user error. Perhaps I’ll try again with fresher beans.
Where can i find the receipe for vanilla cinnamon pear butter?
This stuff is awesome!!!! I used bosc pears and got 6 half pints. Thanks for the fantastic recipe.