Preparing Pears for Canning

New York-based craftsman Mark Luedeman creates custom furniture pieces from his shop in Beacon. Alongside his work as a furniture maker, Mark Luedeman enjoys tending to his garden and fruit trees. Each year, he preserves some of his annual pear harvest through canning. 

Unlike other fruits that lose some of their color, texture, and flavor during the canning process, all varieties of pears preserve very well. Some of the best pears for canning, however, are Bartletts, which offer a definitive flavor and sweetness that work with a variety of canning processes and recipes. 

Regardless of the variety, it’s important to select the right pears for canning. For the best results, the fruit should be mostly unblemished and not quite ripe. Pears that are overripe lack the proper acidity and tend to float in the jar, which can cause them to discolor. 

Once quality pears are selected, they should all be washed, peeled, seeded, and cored before being sliced for canning. Small pear varieties may even be canned whole or in halves. To prevent the pears from discoloring, they should be kept in a bowl of acidulated water until they are added to jars with canning liquid.