This delicious spiced slow cooker pear butter is so easy to make and packed with warming fall flavors! This recipe is safe for water bath canning so you can enjoy the season all year long!
Fall is my favorite time of the year for canning and this delicious pear butter is just one of the reasons why. This recipe is ridiculously simple to make. Simply throw your pears, sugar and spices into the slow cooker then blend for a perfectly smooth preserve that is great on toast and charcuterie boards.
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What is water bath canning?
Canning is simply the process of applying adequate heat to high acid food that is sealed in jars for the allotted time necessary to kill off bacteria and micro-organisms that cause food spoilage. During heating, oxygen is driven out of the jars, causing a vacuum seal to form when the jars cool down. This prevents any outside micro-organisms and oxygen from getting back into the food. When done correctly, canning preserves food safely for at least a year, although probably much, much longer.
You can check out my guide on How to Safely Water Bath Can at Home more resources on safe home preserving.
Safe Canning Resources.
If you are new to canning you can find great resources, recipes and tutorials at Ball Canning and the National Center for Home Food Preservation.
You can also check out my guide on How to Water Bath Can at Home.
More preserving recipes you will love.
Equipment
For the slow cooker Pear Butter.
For this recipe you will need a slow cooker. I love this All Clad Slow Cooker.
You will also need a cutting board and knife and measuring sups and spoons.
To blend the jam I love to use this immersion blender. But you can also use a stand blender if preferred.
For water bath canning.
- Mason jars: Make sure the jars are clean and that the lids are brand new. You cannot reuse canning lids.
- Large pot with rack OR Electric Canner: If you only can once in a while using a large pot with a canning rack works just fine. As someone who personally does a lot of canning and I absolutely LOVE my Ball FreshTech Electric Canner.
- Jar lifter: You will need a jar lifter to remove the hot jars from the water bath.
- Funnel: I personally love this canning funnel because it also allows you to measure the headspace easily.
- Ladle: This Prepworks Canning Scoop is my favorite.
Ingredients
- Pears: Most varieties of pear will work for this recipe with one exclusion. Asian pears do not have the necessary acid for safe water bath canning (without the addition of citric acid) so I recommend steering clear of those if you plan on canning this recipe.
- Sugar: You will use both brown sugar and white granulated sugar for this recipe.
- Lemon Juice: Most canning websites recommend using bottled lemon juice for canning recipes. You can definitely use bottled, but because this recipe naturally has enough acid fresh lemon juice will work as well.
- Vanilla Extract
- Cardamom
- Ground Ginger
- Cinnamon
- Ground cloves
How should I serve this pear butter?
This delicious slow cooker spiced pear butter is fabulous on your morning toast or English muffins. It also works great paired with cheese on a charcuterie board. I especially love enjoying it on crackers with a slice of brie.
More recipes for you to enjoy.
Slow Cooker Apple Butter {for canning}
Blueberry Rhubarb Jam {for canning}
Made this slow cooker pear butter recipe? Let me know what you think in the comments!
Recipe
Slow Cooker Pear Butter {for canning}
Equipment
- Slow Cooker
- immersion blender or stand blender
- Water bath canning supplies see above
Ingredients
- 8 lb pears Any variety except for Asian pears (they don't have enough acidity for safe canning)
- 1 cup organic apple juice
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- 3 cups brown sugar
- 1 cup white granulated sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp cardamom
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground cloves
Instructions
- Peel, core and slice the pears then place in a large slow cooker.Add in all remaining ingredients and cook on low heat for 8-10 hours (4-5 hours on high heat) until the pears are soft and fragrant.
- Turn off the heat and blend with an immersion blender until smooth.(If you don't have an immersion blender you can transfer the mixture to an upright blender and blend that way).Place back in the slow cooker and cook on low with the lid removed for another hour or two until the remaining liquid has mostly evaporated and you've reached your desired consistency.
- At this point you can either spoon the pear butter into jars and place them in the fridge or can them using the instructions below.
Water Bath Canning Instructions
- Ladle the apple butter into mason jars leaving about ¼th to ?rd inch of headspace.Remove air bubbles and wipe the jar rims.Place on new, clean lids and bands and process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes (adjusting time for altitude).Turn off the heat and allow the jars to rest in the warm water for 5 minutes before removing and placing on a towel on the counter (do not place directly on the counter).Allow the jars to cool undisturbed for about 24 hours until all the lids have sealed.Store sealed jars in a cool dry place for 12-18 months for best quality.*Note* If any of the jars do not seal simply store in the refrigerator and consume within 2 weeks.
Will using less sugar affect the safety if canning this?
No, it will not affect the safety.
I made this today and it is delicious!!! Everyone in my family loved it!! I will definitely be making it again.
Would it work to replace the apple juice with organic pear nectar ?
Yes, that should work. I would just recommend adding an extra squeeze of lemon for acidity. Hope you enjoy!
Yay! So glad y’all enjoyed!
It tasted delicious, but it did not set. I cooked it in the crockpot on high for 4-5 hours, then blended it. I followed directions for several more hours on low with the lid off. All in all, I cooked it for almost 12 hours, but it was still more like a sauce. I read somewhere that it would set after cooling - nope. What did I do wrong?
Hi there- the pear butter won’t firmly set like a jam would because you’re cooking the liquid down rather than utilizing natural or added pectin to ensure it gels.
Pear butter does tend to have a softer set than apple butter but if it seems too loose I recommend cooking it for longer. Different slow cookers tend to heat at different temperatures which could explain it. If you want to thicken if you may just want to put it in a regular pot on the stove and cook it down to your desired consistency on a medium heat, bring sure to stir often so the bottom doesn’t scorch.
I hope this helps!
I made this yesterday and this morning realized I cooked it too long, it smelled wonderful at first, but I guess my "low" setting was higher than I expected. It smelled a little burnt, but it wasn't dry or anything, looked way more watery than when I make apple butter. Anyway, I tasted it, but I had also just brushed my teeth, and it kind of had a bitter finish. Could I have burnt the spices? Is there a way to fix it? I made 2 crock pots full. Thank you!
Hi there- pear butter does tend to have a softer set than apple butter so that is totally normal. As for the butter taste, one way to counter it would be to add additional sweetness and acid. So maybe a little more sugar/honey and then a squeeze of lemon and a pinch of salt can balance the bitterness. Add it to taste and see what you think.
Hope this helps!