Recently we got a a large box of pears from our weekly produce basket from a local farm. Despite our one-year-old wanting to eat multiple pears in a single sitting, I knew we wouldn’t be able to eat them fast enough and did not want them to go to waste. I’ve made apple butter many times before, but I wanted something a little different–a little less sweet and with a different spice profile. The result was this butter, which uses vanilla bean, cardamon, and ginger, which all happen to go along with pears quite well.
Spiced Vanilla Pear Butter
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
Serves: 2-3 pints
Ingredients
- 4 lbs pears, peeled, cored, and chopped
- ⅓ cup water (or the pear juice that accumulates from peeling, coring, and chopping)
- ⅓ cup maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon ground cardamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped + pods
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a large deep pot, stirring to combine. Simmer uncovered over low-medium heat for about 1 hour, until pears are very soft. Remove from heat and let cool slightly. Remove vanilla bean, then add to a blender, pureeing (in batches if needed) until mixture is very smooth. You can also use an immersion blender for this step.
- Return puree to pan and place on low-medium heat. Place a lid on top slightly ajar, so steam/moisture can escape but pan is mostly covered in case the mixture sputters. Continue to cook until mixture is reduced, thick, and a deep caramelized color, about another 2 hours. Remove from heat. Let cool. Store in air tight containers in the refrigerator or freeze.
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