It’s pear season here in the southern United States, and that means it’s time to figure out how to preserve pears! In this post, I’ll teach you how to make pear pie filling for canning!
If you look in your safe, approved canning books, you’re not likely to find a pear pie filling recipe. However, according to North Dakota State University, you may safely:
“Substitute peaches for nectarines, or apples for pears, and vice versa with the same tasty result.”
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What Do I Need to Can Pear Pie Filling?
To make this peach butter you need jars, clean, new lids, and bands. You must also use ClearJel, which is a modified food starch. You can purchase it in a 1.5 pound container, but, if you plan on making more than one or two batches of pie filling, I recommend purchasing the 3 pound bag.
A fruit peeler will also come in handy for the recipe! I use a KitchenAid attachment to make the job faster!
I also highly recommend purchasing either a steam canner or the Ball freshTECH Electric Water Bath Canner and Multi-Cooker, if you are interested in another way to save stovetop space or if you have a glass stovetop and don’t want to put a heavy canner on top of it. I use the steam canner or the Ball Water Bath Canner exclusively for anything I that doesn’t need to be pressure canned.
The best feature of the Ball Water Bath Canner is that it can easily hold 12-14 half-pint jars!
Recipe Video
Recipe
This recipe has been safely modified from the Apple Pie Filling Recipe in the So Easy to Preserve Book.
Ingredients
Instructions
First, blanch your pear slices by placing about 1 quart at a time in boiling water, boiling for 1 minute, then removing from the boiling water and placing into a covered bowl to keep warm.
While blanching pears, combine remaining ingredients, except lemon juice, in a large stockpot.
Bring to a boil, stirring constantly.
Once mixture begins bubbling, add lemon juice and continue cooking/boiling for 1 minute.
Remove stockpot from heat and fold in hot, blanched pears.
Store in refrigerator or continue with canning instructions.
Canning Instructions
Fill clean, warm jars with pie filling, making sure to leave 1-inch headspace.
Clean jar rim off to ensure no pie filling is on it.
Put a clean lid on and screw on band until fingertip tight.
Put in water bath canner or steam canner.
Fill remaining jars until pie filling is gone.
Process in a water bath canner for 25 minutes, adjusting for altitude.
Remove jars and set on towel or wooden cutting board to cool for 12-24 hours.
Remove bands and check seals. If any jars failed to seal, store in refrigerator and use first.
