Spiced Carmel Pear Jam

This is one of my most favorite things to can. It is so good and rather different. It makes great gifts and is not to terribly difficult to make. I got the recipe from here, but I also posted it below. Enjoy!!!

We bought a huge box full of pears from a program at school. I think there were 80-some pears in there. 

Here is what it looks like when it is cooking. Yum, it's making me want to get open a jar now and spread it on a crispy warm piece of toast. 

Spiced Carmel Pear Jam:

Ingredients-

4 cups chopped, peeled, and cored pears

1 package powdered fruit pectin

3 1/2 cups sugar, divided

1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar

1/8 teaspoon ground allspice

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon butter, optional-but highly suggested

Directions-

1. Prepare your water bath canner, jars, and lids.

2. After peeling, coring, and chopping your pears add them to into a large pot.

3. In a separate bowl add the pectin and 1/4 cup of the sugar; mix. Add the pectin mixture to the pears in the pot and cook over medium-high heat, stirring. Bring to a full rolling boil. Mix in the remaining sugars and spices. Add butter. Stir constantly bringing to a full rolling boil again. Boil for exactly 1 minute longer. Remove from heat and continue to stir for 5 more minutes.

4. Fill hot jars with jam. Leave 1/4 headspace. 

5. Process for 10 minutes.

6. Remove to cool. Do not invert.

Makes 6-7 half-pint jars.

Tip: I read or heard somewhere that if you are making a huge amount of jam that it is best to only double or triple the recipe for each batch. If you do more there is a greater chance that the pectin will not work as well. Not sure why, but I hate messing with jam that did not firm the first time. 

Tip: I did try to use liquid pectin, not suggested. We will be using a few jars for fruit syrup instead of jam... :)