seasonal kitchen : vanilla pear jam

My Pa loved pears more than anyone I had ever met, but despite his constant urging I wouldn't have anything to do with them.  Now much later in life, I've gotten over my silly fear of their texture, and have been savoring every bite of these juicy fruits.  Pears to me will always be a fruit to be enjoyed in the winter, simmered or poached with soft spices and sweet honey.  This was my first attempt at any type of jam, and I'm pleased with the way it turned out!  What makes me most happy is that while I would have normally had to use almost 55-85% sugar to "set" the jam with pectin (which is normally loaded with preservatives), I found an amazing alternative that allowed me to only use a few tablespoons of honey and nothing more.  Perfection!  I had already fallen in love with the idea of a low to no sugar jam - then finding out it was naturally free from preservatives... could this be real?

WINTER VANILLA PEAR JAM

YOU WILL NEED:

• 4 bartlett pears, diced
• 2 vanilla beans, scraped
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. nutmeg
• 2-3 tbsp. orange blossom honey
• 2-3 canning jars
• pomona's universal pectin

DIRECTIONS:

Start by dicing your pears and adding them to a medium-sized pot along with vanilla beans, spices, and a splash of water.  Simmer on the stove on low heat until pears can be easily softened with a potato-masher.  Turn off heat.  Follow directions on the box of Pomona's to add pectin and calcium water mixture (included in box) to the honey, then add to the fruit on the stove.  Bring back to a rolling boil for just a minute or two to dissolve pectin, then set aside.  Funnel jam into sterile canning jars, wipe mouths clean with a paper towel.  Boiling jars of newly added jam is recommended to create a tight seal.  Jam will last for around 3 weeks once opened. Serves two small canning jars.

Continuing on in a series of seasonally inspired posts.