Pear and Lemon Jam Recipe
Posted by Fiona Nevile in Jam Jelly and Preserves | 152 comments
A pear hanging on our pear tree
I spent ages trying to find a recipe for pear jam without success. One day moseying in the recipe section of Waitrose, I spotted a copy of the best selling Italian cook book The Silver Spoon
I made an excellent jam, not too sweet. A lemony taste with tiny explosions of pear. Everyone that tasted it wanted the recipe. It’s our favourite jam, good for breakfast or with a mild soft cheese.
The problem was that I hadn’t written the recipe down and wasn’t sure of the volume of water. When I returned to Waitrose “The Silver Spoon” was no longer on the shelves. Finding the book became a real mission. I saw it advertised on hoardings in the London tube but never found it in a shop. One happy day, I saw “The Silver Spoon”, twinkling from the supermarket shelves. I snapped it up and rushed home.
I was astonished to find that water was not an ingredient of the jam! I tried several versions, with different amounts of water, and this is by far the best.
| Pear and Lemon Jam Recipe |
- 2 kilos (4 and 1/2 pounds) of pears, peeled, cored and chopped
- 3 medium lemons (strained juice and zest)
- 1 kilo (5 and 1/4 cups) of granulated jam sugar
- 250ml water
Method
- Prepare the pears and place in a large covered bowl, to stop them browning.
- Remove the zest from the lemons carefully to avoid adding the bitter pith. Set zest aside.
- Squeeze the lemon juice and strain.
- Add the water, chopped pears, lemon zest and juice to a large heavy bottomed saucepan.
- Simmer very gently until the pears are just soft.
- Pour in the sugar and stir over a medium/low heat until the sugar is dissolved.
- Bring the heat up to a rolling boil (what is a rolling boil? See Tricks and tips below).
- Allow to boil hard for ten minutes before testing for a set.
- If it has not reached setting point (what is setting point? See Tricks and tips below) continue to boil rapidly, checking for a set every four minutes or so (set the timer for this).
- When the jam has set remove from the heat.
- Allow the jam to stand for a few minutes and pour into warmed sterilised jars (how do I sterilise jars? See Tricks and tips below).
- Cover with screw top lids or wax disks and cellophane tops.
- Label when cold.
- Store in a cool dry place.
Tricks and tips:
Jam set or ‘setting point’
Getting the right set can be tricky. I have tried using a jam thermometer but find it easier to use the following method.
Before you start to make the jam, put a couple of plates in the fridge so that the warm jam can be drizzled onto a cold plate (when we make jam we often forget to return the plate to the fridge between tests, using two plates means that you have a spare cold plate).
Return the plate to the fridge to cool for approx two minutes.
It has set when you run your finger through it and leave a crinkly track mark.
If after a few minutes the cooled jam is too liquid, continue to boil the jam, testing it every few minutes until you have the right set.
The jam is far more delicious if it is slightly runny.
There are other indicators the the jam is setting, the jam will start to coat the back of the spoon and the sides of the saucepan.
Sterilising the jars
We collect jars all year round for our jelly, chutney and jam making sessions. I try to soak off labels and store the clean jars and metal plastic coated lids in an accessible place.
The sterilising method that we used is simple. Just before making the jam, I quickly wash and rinse the jars and place them upside down in a cold oven. Set the temperature to 160c (320F) 140c fan assisted).
When the oven has reached the right temperature I turn off the heat. The jars will stay warm for quite a while.
I only use plastic lined lids for preserves as the all-metal lids can go rusty. I boil these for five minutes in water to sterilise them. If I use Le Parfait jars, I do the same with the rubber rings.
What is a rolling boil?
This is when you boil your jam (or jelly) continuously, very hard. This gradually evaporates the water, enabling the jam to set.
Leave a reply
Karen – if you can’t find a way to enjoy these pears, you can graft (or have grafted, for a small fee) on the variety or varieties of pear you do like. That way you won’t waste all that root and truck structure. Grass indeed -hmpt.
CS – thanks for a great blog! – will be visiting often. and am going to try the pear-lemon Jam. Cheers from California
Love your website, so useful. I have tried several recipes with the pears from my trees but the texture is too, too, too grainy! Short of cutting the two trees down and replacing them with something (or grass if my husband had his way) I’m very open to suggestions!
All best wishes
A couple of days ago, I made a jar of this with some leftover pears and lemon. Tried it for breakfast today – g o r g e o u s !
I’ll be off this afternoon for more pears and lemons…
Thanks for the lovely recipe!
Will make this jam this weekend when I am able to get some more jars. I have my work colleagues saving their jars for me as I am getting a bit carried away with the preserving.
As a thought, my pear jelly never set, just became a wonderful syrup so I poured it into a cordial bottle. We keep it in the fridge and it is gorgeous diluted or poured over fruit and ice cream. It really is like concentrated pear honey!
I am going to get some more ingredients and try again,found it hard to tell if sugar was dissolved but thought it was,did have it on a very high heat to make sure it was boiling enough to get to setting point.thanks for the tips and the quick response,its greatly appreciated as i was so dissapointed it didnt work after it tasted so lovely to start off with.xxxx
Hi Christine
What bad luck.
When you add the sugar you need to heat the pan very gently, stirring all the time until all the sugar has dissolved. Then turn the heat up. If you did this and it still burnt you cooked it on too high a heat. I don’t leave the jam bubbling away I stand by the pot and give it the odd stir then I can tell if something isn’t going right.
There’s no going back if it’s burnt, I’m afraid.
Hi there,ive just finished making this jam(1st ever jam) and ive burnt it so badly it set the smoke alarms off!where did i go wrong i left it for 10 mins then checked for setting point every 4 and it just kept getting worse and worse,which is a shame cause it tasted lovely before it was burnt.please help!xxx
Hi Janet
I do hope that the recipe worked for you.
Hi Janet (you are a new Janet!)
Thanks so much for your feedback. Love the idea of adding crystalised ginger to the mix.
It’s better to cook the jam slowly than to try and hurry the process and burn the lot, I reckon.
Hi Ana
Hope that you like our recipe 🙂
Hi
Nice to meet your Blog.
I was “Googling” for pear jam and yours came up, thanks for this lovely recipe.
With your permission I am taking your recipe.
Thank you very much x
I noted your recipe ingredients and only read the feedback comments after making the jam.
I made your pear & lemon jam today. As you said the original recipe did not have any water,so I did not add any, only the water on the pears after washing them after they had been peeled. I added the sugar at the start so it was moistened. The jam still took an hour and a half at a gentle boil to reach a very vague setting stage because of the grainy nature of the pear. I added about 25g of chopped crystalized ginger. The lemon & the ginger has not overpowered the pear. The jam is amber in colour with a natural texture unlike some shop bought jams. Such a simple, traditional recipe. Thank you for a way to use our homegrown pears that ripen all at once.