#step-1
Begin making your preserves by preparing your pears. Take your pears and wash them throughly. Next peel, core and then slice the pears. You will want to slice them into 1/2- to 3/4-inch pieces. After the pears have been sliced, you will want to have 5 lbs. of sliced pears. So, measure the pears after you slice them and not before.
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Step 2
Place the pears in a large
cooking pot.
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Step 3
Pour the
sugar over the top of the pears and
lightly mix them. You will want to let the mixture sit overnight. This will allow the
sugar to absorb into the pears and soften them, to some degree.
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Step 4
The next morning, place the pears on the stove and stir the pears once more. This time you will want to mix the pears more throughly. Bring the pears to a boil. After they have reached the boiling point, turn down the
heat.
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Step 5
Allow the pears to slowly
cook until they turn a
light golden brown. During this process, the syrup will begin to thicken. Be sure to stir the mixture very often. At this point, you can add more
sugar. The
sugar will need to be added just a little at a time while the pears are
cooking.
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Step 6
The pears will have a somewhat translucent appearance now. Once they reach this point, they should be done.
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Step 7
Now you can place your pear preserves in pre-sterilized jars and seal them to keep your preserves for many morning breakfasts to come.
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Step 8
If you choose, after the preserves reach the boiling point, they can actually be placed an oven safe dish and
cooked on low
heat in the oven. If you are using this method, you will want to set your over between 250 and 300 degrees. Be aware that this method takes longer. It can take between two to three hours in the oven, versus one to two hours on top of the stove. It really just depends on your preference.