October 1, 2018
Updated Sept. 12, 2019
This pear butter has just a handful of ingredients and it's flavors just SCREAM FALL! You can put it on bread, ice-cream, add it to your cakes and cookies for a soft texture, you can dip your fruit slices in it OR my favorite- just eat it by the spoonfuls! Whatever way you choose to eat it you are sure to love it!
Start by washing and rinsing all your pears, chop them into chunks and throw them into your slow cooker. Add lemon juice and stir gently. Set the temperature to high and let it cook for 4 hours. Once the 4 hours are up take off the lid, add the spices and vanilla, then take a hand blender and puree all those pears up. (You can also just throw them into your blender for a few seconds if you don't have a hand mixer.) Now put the lid back on and let it cook for another 4-5 hours on high. When it's finished it will be thick, and spread like butter, and the smell of your home will be amazing! Store in mason jars and enjoy whenever you want a fall treat! Will last in the fridge about 4 weeks.
RECIPE Pear or Apple Butter
Ready in 8-9 hours
Makes: apx 4 cups
Ingredients
8-9 Organic Pears (can also use apples or peaches)
Juice from ½ a lemon
1/2 c honey (optional) I only use it if the pears or apples need a bit more sweetness
1 1/2 TBSP cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp ginger
1 tsp allspice
1 1/2 TBSP vanilla
Preparation
Start by washing your pears with filtered water, get any dirt or residue off of them, then chop them into chunks. Throw them in your slow cooker ( a 5-6 quart crock pot will work) Add your lemon juice, stir gently.
Once all your pears are chopped place the lid on the slow cooker and cook on high for about 4 hours. (smell the aroma)
After the 4 hours are up put all the spices, vanilla, and honey into your pear mixture, and stir. With a hand blender blend until the mixture is pureed. You can also just throw the pears into a blender if you don't have a hand mixer. The pears will be pretty liquidy, but don’t worry it will thicken as it cooks longer.
Cook on high for another 4 hours. After the 4 hours are up it will be thick, the consistency should be like butter and your house will have the aroma of fall! All those spices are something special!
Now just add to your glass jars and store in the fridge for about a month. It yields about 3-4 cups
*Use organic ingredients when feasible
Tips:
If you have more pears you can always just add more until your slow cooker is all the way full, add 1 tsp more of spices if you decide to fill it full.
Towards the end the moisture builds up on the lid and creates more moisture in the pear butter, to prevent this just tilt the lid of your slow cooker off a little bit more so that some air is circulated in it.
It will continue to get even thicker once it is refrigerated. So once it’s done if the consistency isn’t as thick as you would like, just place it in the fridge and as it cools it thickens up more as well.
