Canned Pear Jam

Canned Pear Jam

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Canning pear jam is simple and hands-free with the Nesco Digital Smart Canner. Precise temperature control delivers safe, perfectly sealed jars every time.

Your Key Ingredient:

NESCO Smart Canner

Grocery Ingredients:

  • 4½ cups mashed ripe pears
  • ¼ cup lemon juice Fruit pectin (amount and type per your package’s pear jam instructions)
  • 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
  • ½ tsp. ground cloves
  • ½ tsp. ground allspice
  • ½ tsp. ground nutmeg
  • 3½ cups sugar
  • ½ tsp. butter (to reduce foaming)

Directions:

  1. Combine mashed pears, lemon juice, fruit pectin, cinnamon, cloves, allspice, and nutmeg in a large pot. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly.

  2. Add sugar all at once, stirring, and bring back to a full rolling boil.

  3. Boil hard for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in butter to reduce foaming.

  4. Sterilize half-pint or pint jars and lids in boiling water for at least 5 minutes — this recipe processes for less than 10 minutes at low elevations, so sterilizing the jars beforehand is required for safety.

  5. Ladle the hot jam into the hot, sterilized jars, leaving ¼-inch headspace. Remove air bubbles and wipe jar rims clean.

  6. Place the liner pot in the canner and position the canning rack in the bottom. Load the jars in water-bath mode, making sure they’re fully submerged with at least 2 inches of water above the jar tops.

  7. Select the WB/Steam button and set the Pressure Limiting Valve to Exhaust. Press Start (not Pressure Cook) and wait for a steady, continuous stream of steam from the exhaust valve — this typically takes 15–25 minutes.

  8. Once you see the steady steam stream, set the timer for 5 minutes (0–1,000 ft), 10 minutes (1,001–6,000 ft), or 15 minutes (above 6,000 ft) based on your altitude, then press Start again — the processing timer begins automatically.

  9. Let the unit rest 20–30 minutes after processing before turning the lid to open.

  10. Cool and check seals: Remove jars and let cool undisturbed on a towel or rack for 12–24 hours. Check that lids have sealed (center doesn’t flex when pressed) before storing at room temperature. Refrigerate any unsealed jars and use those first.


Canning method: Water bath — half-pints or pints, 5 minutes (0–1,000 ft) / 10 minutes (1,001–6,000 ft) / 15 minutes (above 6,000 ft). Not tested for quart jars.

Recipe adapted from NCHFP (National Center for Home Food Preservation) — Making Jams and Jellies with Added Pectin guidelines