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Pear butter is made in much the same way as apple butter, it has a flavor all of its own. Rather than try to make a pear version of apple butter heavily spiced with cinnamon and cloves, why not play up the subtle flavor notes in pears with complementary flavors from whiskey and maple?
For this recipe, just about any full-flavored whiskey will do. Aim for something middle shelf, not too cheap or you’ll add off-flavors and not too fancy or it’ll be too smooth to come through against all the other flavors of the pear butter. For this version, I used wild turkey because it’s strong but completely drinkable. If you have a favorite with a good dominant flavor profile, go right ahead.
Without question, this recipe requires grade B maple syrup. Under the new rating scheme, it’s called “Grade A Dark Robust Taste” which is code for it has the most concentrated maple-y flavor. Lighter syrups are sweet, but the full maple flavor won’t come through.
While you can make this recipe using basic tools, and hand peeling the fruit, I do a lot of canning. I’ve invested in a kitchen aid food strainer that takes whole cooked fruit, like apples, pears or tomatoes and removes the peels and seeds for you. It saves a lot of time peeling fruit if you make your own applesauce or pasta sauce at home, or in this case, pear butter.
Maple Whiskey Pear Butter
Adapted from The All New Ball Book of Canning and Preserving
4 lbs. Pears
1/2 Cup Maple Syrup, Grade B
1/2 Cup Whiskey or Bourbon
1. Your first step is to cook and puree the pears to make pear sauce. The most basic way to do this is to peel, stem and core the pears by hand and then cook them in a thick-bottomed pot or enameled dutch oven, along with a small amount of water for 30-40 minutes until soft.
Alternately, you can just coarsely chop the pears and cook them with skins and cores intact and then use a food mill to remove the seeds and cores. I cooked my pears in an instant pot on high pressure for 10 minutes and then used a kitchen aid food mill attachment to remove the seeds for start to finish pear sauce in about 30 minutes, mostly hands-off.
2. If you didn’t use a food mill, process your pears in batches through a food processor or use an immersion blender to thoroughly blend the pears into pear sauce.
3. Return the mixture to your dutch oven or pot and add whiskey and maple syrup. Simmer, uncovered until the mixture thickens, darkens in color and holds its shape on a spoon. I like to cook it until you can pull the spoon across the bottom of the pot and it’s thick enough that it takes a while for the mixture to fill the gap back in.
4. If canning, ladle the hot pear butter into jars, leaving ¼ inch of headspace. Remove air bubbles, lid, and band jars. Process in a water bath canner for 10 minutes, adjusting for altitude.
Sweet Maple Recipes
Recipes made with maple syrup just tastes better!
Maple Whiskey Pear Butter
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 pounds pears
- ½ cup Grade B maple syrup
- ½ cup whiskey, or bourbon
Instructions
- Your first step is to cook and puree the pears to make pear sauce. The most basic way to do this is to peel, stem and core the pears by hand and then cook them in a thick bottomed pot or enameled dutch oven, along with a small amount of water for 30-40 minutes until soft.
Alternately, you can just coarsely chop the pears and cook them with skins and cores intact and then use a food mill to remove the seeds and cores. I cooked my pears in an instant poton high pressure for 10 minutes and then used a kitchen aid food mill attachmentto remove the seeds for start to finish pear sauce in about 30 minutes, mostly hands off. - If you didn't use a food mill, process your pears in batches through a food processor or use an immersion blenderto thoroughly blend the pears into pear sauce.
- Return the mixture to your dutch oven or pot and add whiskey and maple syrup. Simmer, uncovered until the mixture thickens, darkens in color and holds its shape on a spoon. I like to cook it until you can pull the spoon across the bottom of the pot and it's thick enough that it takes a while for the mixture to fill the gap back in.
- If canning, ladle the hot pear butter into jars, leaving 1/4 inch of headspace. Remove air bubbles, lid, and band jars. Process in a water bath canner for 10 minutes, adjusting for altitude.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Hi there! I have some tasty dark spiced rum I was thinking of trying in place of whisky. Would this be an issue in terms of taste or safe canning? Thank you!
That’d be lovely, and you can definitely use that in place of whisky. Enjoy!
I have Grade A syrup will that be ok?
Yup, that’ll work just fine. It has less intense maple flavor than grade B, but it’s still delicious.
Janice, having lived in GA for 13 years (moved from NY) and figuring out what was on our property I contacted the Cooperative Extension for our area several times….and they were always so helpful. I am sure there is a cooperative extension in south central GA area. You will find out what varietal pear it is!! And way to go getting it grafted and receiving a bounty!
whoops! figuring it out! not figureing!
This request is for information. Would you please tell me what kind of pears are in the picture for your maple whiskey pear butter? I live in south central Georgia and that type of pear is commonly found on old homesteads, most of which are now deserted or rental property. I have asked many people. Some told me it was a sand pear. Others said it was keffir. Young trees cannot be purchased. The only way to get one of these is to graft it onto another pear tree. After about 20 years of intermittently trying, I was finally successful and have a single tree! The fruit looks exactly that in the picture. The pear is very hard even when ripe. It is juicy and crisp, and holds it shape in all kinds of canned products. But what is it? Can you please tell me? Many thanks!
I’m sorry to say that the pears in the picture are pretty unlikely to be the ones you’re looking for…they’re a local Variety here in Vermont called Cabot Pear (named after the town of Cabot). They have stunning double blossoms in the spring, and that’s the best way to identify them. (Lots of petals on the flowers.). It’s a pretty rare variety even up here, so I doubt that’s what you have down south.
Janice, having lived in GA for 13 years (moved from NY) and figureing out what was on our property I contacted the Cooperative Extension for our area several times….and they were always so helpful. I am sure there is a cooperative extension in south central GA area. You will find out what varietal pear it is!! And way to go getting it grafted and receiving a bounty!
Food safety question – what provides the acidity necessary for water bath canning? Thanks!
Pears are naturally acidic and well below the safe line for water bath canning.
Is there no need for lemon juice or sugar to preserve this?
You don’t need to add lemon juice or cane sugar to preserve this. Pears are acidic enough on their own, and the water bath canning process is enough to preserve this recipe without added sugar. You can, in fact, just can pear sauce or pear butter without any of the maple. Enjoy!
Ashley
How do you remove air bubbles?
Carol
I tap it on the table to release any bubbles trapped in the jar.
Can this be done in a Crock-Pot? Has anyone done so? Any suggestions?
Is love to do this tomorrow but will be away from home and would LOVE to have it done when I come home!
I don’t see why not! I used a dutch oven!
Love this recipe! Thank you for sharing it. I subbed honey for the maple syrup and it is de’lish.
Awesome, so glad!