Canning Asian Pears

With Sharon Peterson

I was asked about canning Asian pears, so I did a little research. Asian pears need to be acidified before canning. I learned something new!

I’m not familiar with this type of fruit, and I’m not able to get Asian pears where I live. However, they do grow near my virtual assistant Rachel Abernathy, so I requested that she take some photographs for you. (All but the first photo below credited to Rachel Abernathy.)

Asian pears are not like the usual pear you can buy in your supermarket. At least they are not readily available in my area. From what I read, they are very apple-like. Often called apple pears or oriental pears, they are shaped more like an apple. They are tart and the texture is more crunchy like an apple.

Prepare

Gather Your Canning Supplies:

water bath canner
canning jars
canning seals and rings
jar lifter
canning funnel
large pot
bowls
large spoons
sharp knife
towels and dish cloths
ladle

Ingredients:

apricots
sugar
water

Procedure for Canning Asian Pears

Peel, core, and slice your Asian pears in half. Cut out any bruised or blemished areas. I would slice them directly into my syrup to prevent discoloring. You may also cut them in slices if you prefer.

Syrup for Packing

Prepare light or medium syrup. (I prefer light syrup.) Simply heat water and sugar in a saucepan until sugar dissolves.

Light – 2 cups sugar to 1 quart water
Medium – 3 cups sugar to 1 quart water

You can also make a syrup with honey if you don’t want to use processed sugar.

Light – 1 1/2 cups honey to 4 cups water
Medium – 2 cups honey to 4 cups water

The other option is to place peeled and sliced pears into an ascorbic or citric acid solution. This commercial product prevents browning. Follow the directions on the package. When you have enough pears prepared, drain and rinse. Then place the pears into your hot syrup.

Cook pears 5-6 minutes in your syrup, just enough to heat through. You don’t want to overcook. Here is where Asian pears differ from most fruits. You need to add lemon juice to acidify the fruit. Add 1 T to each pint and 2 T to each quart.