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Homemade Spiced Vanilla Pear Halves in Easy Syrup

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A simple yet elegant recipe for preserving pears in a vanilla-spiced syrup. Perfect for gifting, holiday brunches, or enjoying a taste of summer in winter.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 4–5 pounds firm, slightly underripe pears (Bosc or Bartlett)
  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • 4 cups water
  • 1 whole vanilla bean, split lengthwise
  • 2 whole star anise pods
  • 1 whole cinnamon stick
  • 4–6 whole cloves
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • a pinch of salt

Instructions

  1. Prepare your jars and lids. Wash jars, lids, and bands in hot, soapy water. Rinse thoroughly. Place jars in water bath canner, cover with water, and bring to a simmer. Keep hot until ready to fill. Place lids in a small saucepan of hot water (not boiling) and keep warm.
  2. Make the vanilla spice syrup. In a large saucepan, combine 4 cups water and 2 cups sugar. Stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Add split vanilla bean, star anise, cinnamon stick, cloves, and a pinch of salt. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
  3. Prepare the pears. Peel pears using a vegetable peeler. Cut each pear in half lengthwise and use a melon baller or small spoon to remove core and seeds. Drop pear halves into a bowl of water mixed with lemon juice to prevent browning.
  4. Blanch the pears. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Drain pears from lemon water and add to boiling water. Blanch for 2-3 minutes until slightly tender but still firm. Drain and set aside on a clean kitchen towel.
  5. Pack the jars. Remove hot jars from canner using jar lifter. Place on a clean kitchen towel. Using a wide-mouth funnel, pack pear halves tightly into jars, cut side down, leaving 1/2 inch headspace.
  6. Add the syrup. Remove vanilla bean and spices from syrup (or leave a star anise pod in each jar for decoration). Ladle hot syrup over pears, covering completely while maintaining 1/2 inch headspace. Use a bubble remover to release trapped air bubbles. Add more syrup if needed.
  7. Wipe and seal. Wipe jar rims with a clean, damp towel. Place a warm lid on each jar, then screw on band until fingertip-tight.
  8. Process the jars. Using jar lifter, lower jars into water bath canner. Ensure jars are covered by at least 1 inch of water. Bring water to a rolling boil, then process for 20 minutes (adjust for altitude if needed). Start timer when water reaches a full boil.
  9. Cool and check seals. After processing, turn off heat and let jars sit in water for 5 minutes. Transfer to a towel-lined counter. Let cool completely, undisturbed, for 12-24 hours. Check seals by pressing center of each lid—if it doesn’t flex, it’s sealed. Store unsealed jars in refrigerator and use within a few weeks.

Notes

Choose firm, slightly underripe pears for best texture. Blanching pears before packing is essential to avoid mealy texture. For high altitude, add 5 minutes processing time per 1,000 feet above sea level. Flavors improve after a month of storage.

Nutrition

Keywords: canned pears, spiced pears, vanilla pears, homemade preserves, canning recipe, pear halves, gift jar recipe

Find it online: https://bakebelle.com/homemade-spiced-vanilla-pear-halves-in-easy-syrup/