Humans aren?t the only ones who think pears are delicious, so when the fruits start to come ripe, you may have to pick them all at once to stay ahead of the birds and the squirrels. But the wonderful thing about pears is the way they can take on so many different flavor profiles, making them equally likely candidates for a sweet preserve or a spicy chutney. Here are my three favorite ways to preserve them.

Remember when canning to observe strict sanitation rules to avoid any possibility of food-borne illness. This includes sterilizing your jars and lids in boiling water just prior to filling. Also, try to stick with established canning recipes, as you need to achieve a proper ph balance to create safe shelf stable foods. If, even after you have followed a canning recipe to the letter, you suspect your finished product of spoilage, discard it immediately.

Spiced Pear Butter

To me, this pear butter tastes like winter in a jar. I favor serving it on toast accompanied by Earl Gray tea.

4 lb. pears, stemmed cored and roughly chopped
1/2 c. dry white wine
2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 ½ c. sugar
Pinch of salt
1 tsp. vanilla
4 orange slices
1 lemon slice
4 whole cloves
1 cinnamon stick

In a large saucepan over medium high heat, combine pears, wine and lemon juice. Bring to a boil, then turn down the heat to low and cover the pot. Simmer the mixture until pears are soft, stirring occasionally (about 25 minutes). Force the pears through a food mill or coarse sieve. Return the milled pears to the saucepan. Add the sugar, salt, and vanilla. Place the fruit slices, cloves, and cinnamon stick in a piece of cheesecloth and tie well. Place the cheesecloth bundle into the saucepan. Turn on low heat. Stir the mixture constantly until sugar dissolves. Increase the heat to medium and cook, stirring often, until the mixture thickens enough to mound in a spoon (about 50 minutes). Discard the cheesecloth bundle and ladle the pear butter into hot, sterilized half-pint jars, leaving 1/4 " head space. Process for 12 minutes in a boiling water bath.

Pear Chutney

This chunky concoction offers a rich blend of sweet and savory flavors. Serve it as an accompaniment for Indian-style curries, as a condiment on a cheese and crackers tray, or (slightly pureed) as a sandwich spread.

4 lbs.pears, stemmed cored and roughly chopped
3 lbs. onions, minced
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 c. dried cranberries
1 c. golden raisins
4 c. brown sugar
1 tbsp. ground cumin
2 tsp. ground coriander
1 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tbsp. salt
6 c. apple cider vinegar
2 (5.5 oz.) cans tomato paste

Combine the pears, onions and garlic in a large stock pot over medium heat. Stir constantly for 5 minutes, or until the mixture starts to become fragrant. Add the cranberries, raisins, sugar, cumin, coriander, cayenne, cinnamon, salt, apple cider vinegar and tomato paste. Combine well. Increase the heat to high and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer, stirring frequently, until the mixture thickens (about 50 minutes). Ladle the pear butter into hot, sterilized half-pint jars, leaving 1/4 " head space. Process for 15 minutes in a boiling water bath.

Pear Chow Chow

Chow Chow (also known as Piccalilli) is a type of relish related to an Indian-style pickle. As such, the recipes vary regionally. This was my great-aunt's recipe, and was given to me by my Mom. This pear version may be different from the more common cabbage-based ones, but it makes a delicious addition to chicken salad or potato salad, or as served as a condiment or side dish.

12 c. pears, stemmed, peeled, cored and ground
4 c. onion, ground
1 c. jalapeno peppers, ground
2 c. bell peppers, ground
5 tbsp. salt
1 tbsp. turmeric
4 ½ cups sugar
2 ½ cups vinegar
2 ½ tbsp. pickling spice
1 tbsp. celery seeds

Combine the ground vegetables in a large, non-reactive pot. Sprinkle the turmeric and salt over the vegetables. Cover the pot and let stand overnight. The next day, place the pickling spice in a square of cheesecloth and tie well. Add the bundle to the vegetable mixture along with the sugar, vinegar and celery seeds. Bring this mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, then turn heat down to medium and cook, stirring frequently, for 30 minutes. Ladle the chow chow into hot, sterilized pint jars, leaving 1/4 " head space. Process for 15 minutes in a boiling water bath.