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Homemade Canned Pear Halves in Vanilla Syrup

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Tender pear halves preserved in a golden vanilla syrup, capturing the taste of summer in a jar. This simple water bath canning recipe yields beautifully flavored pears perfect for desserts, breakfasts, cheese boards, or gifting.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 6 pounds firm, ripe pears (Bartlett or Bosc work best)
  • 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
  • Cold water (for acidulated water bath)
  • 4 cups granulated sugar
  • 6 cups water (filtered or tap)
  • 2 whole vanilla beans (split lengthwise)
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Instructions

  1. Prepare your workstation: Wash jars, lids, and bands in hot, soapy water. Place jars in canning pot, cover with water, and bring to a simmer. Keep hot until filling. Place lids and bands in a small saucepan of hot water.
  2. Make acidulated water: Fill a large bowl with 4 cups cold water and 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice. This prevents pears from browning.
  3. Prepare the pears: Peel each pear, cut in half lengthwise, and core using a melon baller or small spoon. Remove stem. Drop each half into the acidulated water immediately.
  4. Make the vanilla syrup: In a large saucepan, combine 4 cups sugar, 6 cups water, and split vanilla beans (scrape seeds into water, add pods). Bring to a boil, stirring until sugar dissolves. Reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes. Stir in 2 tablespoons lemon juice.
  5. Pack the jars: Remove a hot jar from canner using jar lifter. Arrange pear halves cut-side down in jar using a wide-mouth funnel. Pack snugly, leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Ladle hot syrup over pears, maintaining 1/2 inch headspace. Use a wooden skewer to release air bubbles.
  6. Wipe and seal: Wipe jar rims with a clean, damp towel. Center lid on jar and screw on band until fingertip-tight.
  7. Process the jars: Place filled jars back in canning pot, ensuring they’re covered by at least 1 inch of water. Bring to a full rolling boil. Process pint jars for 20 minutes (adjust for altitude above 1,000 feet). Turn off heat and let jars sit in water for 5 minutes.
  8. Cool and check seals: Remove jars and place on a towel-lined counter. Leave undisturbed for 12-24 hours. Press center of each lid—if it doesn’t pop, it’s sealed. Refrigerate any unsealed jars and use within a few weeks.

Notes

Use firm but ripe pears—too soft and they’ll turn to mush, too hard and they’ll lack flavor. The vanilla beans can be reused to make vanilla sugar. For altitude adjustments, add processing time as needed. The pears taste better after sitting for a few weeks as flavors develop.

Nutrition

Keywords: canned pears, vanilla syrup, homemade canned fruit, water bath canning, pear preserves, vanilla pears, canning recipe, homemade preserves

Find it online: https://siennaspoon.com/homemade-canned-pear-halves-in-vanilla-syrup/