Please forgive me for name-dropping, but while you're reading this the mister and I will be de-planeing in MILAN...oh, how rude of me, I meant to say MILAN, ITALY in case you thought I was taking about Milan, Idaho! Okay, enough about me - for now - I'll let you in on all the fun if I can take a break from being the Accidental Tourist and stop eating gelato long enough to plug in the computer! In the meantime, I have this incredible recipe for Pear Butter for you...truly divine...did I say I was in ITALY?!?
One of my very favorite sandwiches is a piece of crusty French bread topped with Fontina cheese, prosciutto, and pear jam. Those ingredients meld into the most delightful lunch - and if you toast it, so the cheese melts - well, you've got yourself an E-ticket on the Nirvana Express. Pear Jam is usually pretty easy to find but at $6 to $8 for a little tiny jar, it's dang expensive! I don't just use Pear Jam on sandwiches - it's great on toast/bagels in the morning or when making stuffed French toast and I also like to use it as a filling between cake layers for an extra sweet surprise. I love pears, love pear jam, and when Diane asked if she could pick me up a box (Thanks Diane!) when she went over the mountains to the sunny side of the state I jumped with joy!
The Complete Book of Small-Batch Preserving is my jam/jelly Bible. Even if you've never canned before, this book will have you addicted and canning like Betty Crocker in no time! You don't need 25 pounds of pears to make pear butter - you can make it with just five individual pears! That's why I love this book - if you want to can a pantry full of something, you can, but if you just want to put up a few jars for yourself or for gifts, this book talks you through every step and takes out all the guess work. And Pear Butter, I must say, is the elixir to all that ails. Trust me.
By the way, the mister has been transformed. Since last May when all of his favorite TV shows ended, the mister has been morose, depressed and downright humorless, yes, more so than usual! All summer long, nothing to watch but reruns - until last week; oh my, he came alive! New shows returned as PREMIER WEEK premiered! And there is a lightness to his step - more pep...less knuckle-dragging. He fairly sprinted through the airport to the gate so he could claim a seat and watch a new episode of his favorite TV show on the computer before our flight left! I had no idea he could move that fast - it's as if the embalming fluid has been replaced with STP!
Pear Butter - From The Complete Book of Small-Batch Preserving
(I made two batches of Pear Butter. One batch was made with ground nutmeg, giving the Pear Butter a darker appearance. The other batch, made without nutmeg, is lighter in color and taste - both are excellent. No pectin is used in this recipe.)
5 pears, any kind, peeled, cored and sliced
1 cup water
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cinnamon stick, about 4-inches long
4 whole cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg (optional)
Place pears and water in a miedum stainless steel or enamel saucepan. Bring to a full boil over high heat, cover, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes or until pears are tender, stirring occastionally.
Place pear mixture in a food processor or blender and process until almost smooth. Return to saucepan and add sugar, stirring well to blend. Put cinnamon stick and cloves into a spice bag and add to saucepan. Return pear mixture to a boil, reduce heat and boil gently, uncovered, until mixture is very thick, stirring frequently. (This took about 40 minutes.)
Discard spice bag; stir in nutmeg (if using). Ladle into hot jars and process for 10 minutes in a boiling water bath. Makes about 3 cups.