Pear jam: 9 recipes

The sweet juicy and surprisingly fragrant pear is as popular as the apple. It is also known since ancient times and cultivated as a cultivated plant in many countries. The benefits of the pear are undoubted, and the taste qualities are very diverse thanks to the constant work of breeders, breeding new varieties and hybrids. The fruit is enjoyed eating fresh, making juice, fruit puree, amazing desserts, including marmalade, marshmallow, and the most delicate jam.

Fruit beauty

In ancient times, when there was no universal standard of feminine beauty measured in centimeters, a beauty of childbearing age was compared to a ripe pear. Indeed, lush hips against the graceful line of the neck and shoulders were a guarantee of fertility and easy resolution of the burden.

Interesting: The aroma of the pear is on the list of recognized aphrodisiacs. By the way, there is even a variety called "Gifts of Aphrodite".

The tree is tall, the wild species reach 25 m in height with a crown spread of 5 m. Regular pruning is required, otherwise the crown quickly gets dense and the volume of fruiting decreases. Pears become shallow, losing flavor and aroma, become vulnerable to typical diseases and pests. A well-kept tree in a productive year is capable of yielding up to 150 kg of fruit.

The leaves of the tree are small, rounded, with a sharp tip. At the height of the season they are dark green with a glossy surface. The flowering period is in late April or early May. But it is much more interesting to remember the timing of fruiting. In this you will have to be guided by the variety and the weather characteristics of the region of cultivation. Early varieties reach ripeness in mid-July, late ones are removed before the very frosts. All varieties are suitable for making sweet desserts, but winter pears need to rest and ripen for the taste to unfold fully.

Summer and autumn varieties do not require such an ageing. Not only that, but early-ripening varieties with tender juicy flesh quickly start to spoil. It is better to process them immediately into juice, jam or jam.

Composition and Calories

The amount of vitamins in the fruit is average, all in moderation. The highest values have vitamins of the group B, C, E, P, K. But pears are valued for other components:

• fiber;
• tannins;
• organic acids;
• Complex of micro- and macronutrients;
• pectins;
• flavonoids;
• enzymes;
• alkaloids;
• dietary fiber;
• chlorogenic acid;
• arbutin.

Sorbitol, which is part of the fruit, is very important. With a sweeter flesh pears are not prohibited for diabetics, at the same time providing a mild diuretic effect and vasoconstrictor effect.

Fresh pulp has the lowest caloric value. It does not exceed 57 kcal, but in dried fruits it reaches 262 kcal, which creates certain problems for those who must control their weight. The caloric content of jam also steadily increases due to the presence of sugar in the recipes. Most of the nutrients, however, remain almost unchanged, with the exception of the B vitamins, which rapidly diminish in the cooking process.

What is useful for pears jam

The most useful are fresh fruits, and there is no need to argue with this. It's a shame that the pear season, for all its duration, is coming to an end after all. We can only sadden ourselves with an unavailable delicacy or try to save some for the long winter evenings. The list of recipes is large. Dried fruit slices store best. They have 4 times more calories compared to fresh pears, but most of the nutrients remain the same.

Regular consumption of pears normalizes the intestinal function, activates peristalsis and stimulates the removal of toxins from the body. The unique composition of fruits allows to strengthen blood vessels, reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes by reducing cholesterol levels, increasing the elasticity of large and small vessels, stabilizing blood pressure. Pears increase immunity, increase the body's resistance to pathogenic bacteria, fungi and viruses, and restore the natural microflora of the intestines.

Folic acid is essential for pregnant women and those who have approached the threshold of age-related changes. Pear increases sexual desire, stabilizes hormonal background, reduces the severity of PMS.

The combination of diuretic and antimicrobial action makes the pear very useful for alleviating the symptoms of urinary system infections. 2-3 small fruits a day, along with the skin stops the stomach upset, acting like a sponge, adsorbing harmful substances and toxins. The action of the pear on the intestines is dual. Fresh pulp is slightly emptying, the tannins in the skins are fixing. That is why decoction made of them with the addition of bird cherry berries is effective for urgent stopping of diarrhea.

Small calories and high nutritiousness make it possible to include pears in weight-loss programs, removing the feeling of hunger for a long time and giving half a day's supply of energy.

There are few restrictions on eating the product. You should not eat fresh fruits and jam in case of individual intolerance, during exacerbations of gastrointestinal diseases. Dried fruits are not recommended to enter the diet in case of obesity, it is better to give preference to fresh fruits.

How to choose pears for jam

For jam you will need sweet varieties, such as:

• Augustovskaya.
• Lada.
• Chizhovskaya.
• Duchesse.
• Cathedral.
• Moskvichka.
• Dessert Rossoshanskaya.

If one chooses at the market, one prefers a domestic product without hesitation. It is best to go to a farmer's market or arrange with someone from the dacha owners. This way the quality will be guaranteed and the price will remain low. The best recommendation will be a bright rich flavor and juicy flesh. For jam, do not take crumpled overripe fruit with the smell of fermentation.

For two or three-part desserts, early varieties will be suitable, for classic pear and sugar jam it is better to take autumn varieties.

How to cook pear jam: recipes

Pears, like apples, do not keep grated with sugar. You will have to boil the sweet mass for at least a few minutes.

Classic

The recipe contains only granulated sugar and pears. If they are large, the pulp is cut into slices. Small varieties can be divided into halves, removing the petioles, skin and core. Filled with sugar fruit at a rate of 1:1 leave to separate the juice for 6-9 hours. The liquid is drained and boiled separately until homogeneous. Then the pears are poured boiling syrup and cook for 1 hour on low heat, stirring regularly with a wooden spatula.

Important: Pour the syrup into the pears, not the other way around. In this way, the fruits remain intact and boil more quickly.

Through the glass jar sterilized pears look incredibly attractive, so after cooling they need to urgently put away so that the household did not eat them immediately.

Tender

Many people since childhood remember the tenderest fruit puree. The first children's dietary supplement was apple, but pear was also considered no less a delicacy, but offered to the child a little later. A very simple recipe will help you remember the taste of your childhood.

Sweet, juicy, fully ripe pears are peeled of peel and seeds, ground through a meat grinder or blender to a pulpy consistency. Add sugar in an amount of 250 g per 1 kg of peeled fruit. Over low heat, cook the mass for 20 minutes with constant stirring, and immediately transferred to small sterilized jars with sealed lids. Keep the dessert only in the refrigerator.

Once the jar is opened, the contents are eaten within a day. The problem is always where to get more afterwards. The treat can be made with apples, bananas, and condensed milk.

With plums

Timing of fruiting in the pear and plum almost coincide, so there is a great chance for a luxurious dessert. Variants of preparation - with sugar and without it.

In the first case, take 2 kg of each ingredient and 500 ml of water. The fruit is cut into slices, fill with sugar, leave for 3 hours and boil for 1 hour until the volume is halved.

The second method is suitable for those who do not like extra sweetness in their diet. For 4 kg of ripe peeled pears, cut into thin slices, you need 2 kg of plums, cut in half, and 1 liter of water. Cook in five steps of 15 minutes. The ingredients are put at the same time, the volume decreases by 3-4 times. The dessert is stored only in a cool place under airtight lids.

With apple

The classic combination will never go out of style. Additional ingredients change, but the basis remains the same:

• apples - 1,5 kg;
• pears - 0,5 kg;
• sugar - 1 kg.

Usually choose sweet varieties of fruit. To ensure that the jam does not turn out sugary, add 1 tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice. If one of the types of fruit with sourness, then no third-party additives are required. Apples and pears are cleaned of peels, seeds and stalks, cut into cubes and kept under a layer of granulated sugar for 3 hours. Then bring the mass to a boil on high heat, add lemon juice, if necessary, and remove from the stove for 40 minutes, covered with lid. If you cook for 50-60 minutes, you will get jam, if you double the time the result will be a homogeneous flavored jam. In both cases, the mass is spread out in sterilized jars in hot form. When it cools, it thickens.

With orange

For the treat, equal amounts of pears and sugar are taken. To them add 1 large orange with a thin crust. The pears are diced, the orange is cut into thin slices. The ingredients are placed in a pot in layers, pour sugar over them, and incubate for 2 hours. The mass begins to boil over medium heat. When it boils, the heat is turned down to a minimum and the jam is simmered for 10 minutes. Then it is covered with a towel and left for 8-10 hours. During this time, the pear is soaked in syrup and becomes soft and translucent.

The final boiling lasts only 5 minutes. The finished delicacy is poured into jars. On the same principle, jam with lemon is prepared.

With cinnamon and nuts

The jam is excellent as a topping for ice cream, pancakes, cottage cheese. You will need 2 kg each of pears and sugar and 350 g of peeled walnut kernels. The syrup is boiled with the addition of 500 ml of water. They can be left in quarters or chopped more finely, just not to dust. Pears are cut into large slices, if they are small, they are divided into 4 parts, remove the core. Prepared fruits are poured with boiling syrup, boil for 10 minutes, add nuts, cinnamon and cook for another half an hour. The jam is placed in jars while still hot.

With lingonberries

For 3 kg of pears you will need 1 kg of berries, 2,5 kg of sugar and 1 lemon ring. If desired add cinnamon and cloves. Before cooking the cranberries must be immersed for 2-3 minutes in boiling water, removing the bitterness from the berries. Then they are thrown in a colander and all the liquid is poured off. Pears are chosen juicy, but with a dense flesh, so they do not decompose into mush. Peel them, cut into thin slices and mix with berries.

Syrup is boiled in advance, after 5 minutes of boiling it is poured into a container with cranberries and pears, put on medium heat and boiled for 5 minutes. Then the mass insist under a lid for 12 hours to 24 hours and boil again for 15 minutes. The result is a golden ruby dessert with a surprisingly harmonious flavor. If spices are used, add them 5 minutes before the end of cooking.

With cherry plum and apples

Sweet dessert with a slight sourness will come in handy during the long winter, when so bored fresh food and want something spicy. Take the ingredients in equal proportions, 1 kg each, including sugar. A cherry plum stab with a toothpick to separate the juice better, cut the fruit into small cubes. You can cook with a preliminary infusion or boil immediately, but with the addition of water. The total cooking time is 40 minutes. As an option, the pips are removed from the berries, all the ingredients are chopped in a blender, the mass is boiled for 20 minutes longer. It turns out a great jam.

In a multicooker

The technique is designed to cook a variety of dishes, making life easier for the modern man. Jam is also easy to prepare in the multicooker, and in this case, the skin from the pears can not be removed. For 2 kg of fruit, you need only 1 kg of sugar, for very sweet varieties add the juice of half a lemon.

Ingredients immediately put in a bowl, select the program "Stew" with a delayed start for 2 hours. After 20 minutes of cooking stir the contents so that the delicacy does not stick. In new models, there is a corresponding option "Jam", where you do not have to open the lid at all. The operating time is 60 minutes. Immediately spread the dessert in jars is not necessary, it should stay in the multicooker for another 2-3 hours.

How to store pear jam

If you boil the fruit for more than 30 minutes, the jam stores well even at room temperature. The pantry shelves away from heaters and the stove would be optimal. You can put jars with dessert on a cool loggia or glazed balcony. In light frosts, it is enough to cover the stock on top of an old jacket or blanket, and they will survive the winter just fine.

Five-minute pears should stand only in the refrigerator. For all its resistance to heat, pears will quickly ferment if there are water droplets in the jar, so sterilize them dry. Well boiled jam does not need to hermetically roll up, you can close it with normal polyethylene lids, waxed paper, tying with twine or thick string.

Interesting facts about the pear tree

1. The tree lives 150-200 years. There are long-livers, whose age reaches 3 centuries.
2. The wood is very beautiful, lightweight, used in the manufacture of furniture and musical instruments.
3. Before tobacco, the smoking mixture was crushed dry leaves of the pear tree.
4. The fruit has a minimal index of allergenicity.
5. The wild pear tree is native to Asia.
6. Close relatives of the culture are about 2 thousand plants. Among them are apple tree, rose, hawthorn.
7. In China, the pear is considered a symbol of immortality.
8. Regular consumption of pears strengthens the enamel of teeth.
9. Under the right conditions, the fruit can be preserved until a new harvest.
10. The largest pear was grown in Japan and weighed 3 kg.

In ancient Greece, the pear was called "the gift of the gods" along with grapes. It was valued as a medicine, and juicy pieces were taken on sea voyages by those who could not tolerate rocking. The jam retains the basic properties of the fresh fruit. With a little experimentation, you can assemble a whole gallery of pear-based flavors. But it is worth considering that then the choice will be very difficult, because each recipe is original in its own way.

Photo of pear jam