Vanilla Spiced Pears are wonderful when warmed for breakfast or served with a slice of pound cake for dessert. Pretty mason jars of these pears make lovely hostess gifts for the holiday season, as well! [If you’re looking for a hostess gift with a decidedly adult flair, check out this similar recipe for Brandied Pears.]
Money saving tip: If you’re buying pears at an orchard or farm stand, ask for “seconds.” Often, growers will only display their perfectly unblemished (No. 1) fruit for sale. Fruit which is still perfectly good for canning but has tiny cosmetic defects is considered No. 2 grade, and is often sold at steep discounts to customers who ask. During a recent orchard visit, I was able to buy pear seconds for half the price of unblemished pears, and the seconds had barely any defects at all (see photo).
Ingredients (Makes 7 quarts)
27 – 30 Bartlett pears, peeled, cored, and sliced thick
4 cups sugar
*1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise and cut into 1 inch pieces
1 teaspoon whole cloves
1 teaspoon whole allspice
1/2 cup lemon juice
8 cups water
*Don’t skimp on the real vanilla bean – vanilla extract is not a good substitute here. You can order vanilla beans to be delivered right to your door, if you wish: Grade A Premium Gourmet Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla Beans , Fresh Prime, Approximatelly 17 Centimeters (Pack of 10)
Directions
Step 1) Bring sugar vanilla bean, cloves, allspice, lemon juice, and water to a boil in a large stockpot. Boil gently, stirring occasionally, for five minutes.
Step 2) Reduce heat to simmer. Add pear slices and simmer for two minutes.
Step 3) Ladle pears into sterilized quart size canning jars. Make sure pears are covered with the vanilla spiced syrup, leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Don’t be afraid to really pack the pear slices into the jars!
Step 4) Remove air bubbles from the jars by sliding a butter knife or canning tool along the inside of each jar. Cover jars with lids and rims. Process jars in a boiling water canning bath for 20 minutes.
Crowded Earth Kitchen 
Hello, this is exactly what i’ve been looking for. my only question is the amount of fruit. to me it seems like the amount of fruit is about half of what would be needed for 7 qt. i know “size matters” but is the amount by chance off, or is this in fact what you have had success with. Thank you Andy B.
Good question, Andy! It’s been almost a year since I’ve made a batch of these. If memory serves, the pears at the farm I visited were rather large, and also I am careful not to “stuff” pears into jars (as one might do with cucumbers when making pickles, for instance). Pears bruise so easily that I prefer to just layer them gently in jars, approximately 4 pears per quart. Depending upon how firmly or loosely the jars are packed, you may find that you need fewer jars or more brine. Canning always seems to be part science and part art… enjoy!
Thank you, I found some information that suggested 2.5 pounds per qt. Think I’ll use that as a starting point. I’ll post results. Thanks for sharing can’t wait to taste these pears.