So full of flavor from a cool weather favorite, this spread is silky smooth much like nature’s honey but with sweet pears peaking through. Accented with pineapple plus fresh lemon and ginger to brighten the tones, it’s a beautiful addition to your collection.
Fruit honeys and butters are wonderful and quite versatile. They are made by slowly cooking fruit with sugar until they transform themselves into a thick spread. They’re not difficult to make, you just need an ounce or two of patience.
Like many recipes for canning and preserving there are numerous variations and I found more than a handful for pear honey. But I was intrigued by one using pineapple – it caught my eye and the results are scrumptious!
The original recipe calls for a short list of ingredients that creates a mouthful of flavor. Sweet, ripe Bosc pears, crushed pineapple and fresh lemon. Then to take it to another level we added candied ginger along with fresh ginger.
Cook until the sugar has melted completely, then purée into a smooth spread. Then cook a bit more, leaving you with a thick, luscious pear honey.
Delicious as a breakfast spread for sure, it can also be used as a condiment for sandwiches. But it’s sublime with a bit of St. Angel cheese and a crisp cracker. A gem for entertaining!
Ginger Pear Honey
If you don’t have an immersion blender you can finely chop the pears in a food processor before cooking.
2 pounds of ripe Bosc pears, peeled, cored and chopped, about 4 cups
1 small can crushed pineapple, 8 ounces, drained, about ½ cup
Zest of 1 small lemon, about ½ teaspoon
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
3 cups sugar
¼ cup candied or crystallized ginger
2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
Combine the pears along with the crushed pineapple, lemon zest, lemon juice and sugar in a large kettle or stockpot.
Stir to blend together and cook over medium-low heat until the sugar has completely dissolved, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes.
Using an immersion blender purée the pears until fairly smooth.
Add the candied ginger and the fresh ginger. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat.
Reduce the heat back to medium-low and continue cooking until the pear honey has thickened, about 1 hour, stirring frequently. If you use candied ginger rather than crystallized the pear honey might be more amber in color.
You can process the pear honey in canning jars placed in a water bath or keep refrigerated.
Makes 3-½ cups.
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Pear Honey
Equipment
- Large kettle or stockpot
- Immersion blender
Ingredients
- 2 pounds of ripe Bosc pears, peeled, cored and chopped, about 4 cups
- 1 small can crushed pineapple, 8 ounces, drained, about ½ cup
- Zest of 1 small lemon, about ½ teaspoon
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
- 3 cups sugar
- ¼ cup crystallized ginger
- 2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
Instructions
- Combine the pears along with the crushed pineapple, lemon zest, lemon juice and sugar in a large kettle or stockpot.
- Stir to blend together and cook over medium-low heat until the sugar has completely dissolved, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes.
- Using an immersion blender purée the pears until fairly smooth.
- Add the candied ginger and the fresh ginger. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat.
- Reduce the heat back to medium-low and continue cooking until the pear honey has thickened, about 1 hour. Stir frequently. If you use candied ginger the pear honey might be more amber in color.
- You can process the pear honey in canning jars placed in a water bath or keep refrigerated.
