What you need
Canned cinnamon pears are one of the simpler fruit canning projects. The fruit is processed in a boiling water canner, which is appropriate for high-acid foods, and the recipe uses only a few ingredients:
- Fresh, firm-ripe pears
- Unsweetened apple juice (or a light sugar syrup)
- One cinnamon stick per pint jar
- Lemon juice or another anti-browning treatment (optional but helpful)
- Pint jars, new lids, and bands
- A boiling water canner with a rack, plus a jar lifter, funnel, and headspace tool
Plan on roughly 1 to 1 1/2 pounds of pears per pint jar, which is about 3 to 5 medium pears, according to the Ball recipe. Smaller pears yield more jars per pound than very large ones, so treat these numbers as estimates.
Use a tested recipe from a reliable source, such as the National Center for Home Food Preservation (NCHFP) or the Ball canning brand, and follow its processing time exactly. The method below follows the widely published Ball apple-juice version. If you want a traditional syrup pack, the NCHFP publishes tested instructions for pears in syrup.
Choosing pears
Bartlett pears are the classic choice for canning because they hold their shape well. Bosc and Anjou are also commonly used. Choose fruit that is ripe enough to taste good but still firm. Very soft pears tend to fall apart in the jar, and very hard, underripe pears can stay gritty.
Pears are in season from late summer into early winter, which is when they are usually best and least expensive. Discard fruit with bruises, soft spots, or signs of decay.
Do you have to blanch pears before canning?
Not in the sense of dropping them in boiling water to remove skins. You peel pears with a peeler or paring knife. What the recipe does call for is a hot pack: after peeling, coring, and halving, the pears are cooked briefly in water, one layer at a time, until heated through.
Hot packing helps in a few ways. It drives some air out of the fruit, which can reduce floating, and it means the fruit goes into the jar already hot. Meanwhile the apple juice is brought to a boil in a separate pot. Skip neither step, since the recipe was tested that way.
Step-by-step method
- Prepare the canner and jars. Fill the canner with water and begin heating it. Heat clean jars in simmering water until you are ready to fill them, and do not let them boil. Wash lids in warm soapy water and set the bands aside, following the lid manufacturer’s directions.
- Prepare the pears. Wash and drain them. Peel, core, and cut into halves (quarters are fine if the pears are large). A small melon baller or spoon makes removing the core easy. Place the cut pears in water with lemon juice, or treat them with a commercial anti-browning product, to limit darkening while you work.
- Heat the pears. Cook the pears in water, in a single layer, until they are hot all the way through. Work in batches.
- Heat the juice. In another pot, bring the apple juice to a boil.
- Pack the jars. Put one cinnamon stick in each hot jar, then pack the hot pears tightly, cavity side down. Leave 1/2 inch of headspace.
- Add the liquid. Ladle the hot juice over the pears, again leaving 1/2 inch of headspace. Remove air bubbles with a nonmetallic tool, re-check the headspace, and wipe the rim clean.
- Close the jars. Center the lid, apply the band, and tighten only to fingertip tight.
- Process. Lower the jars into the canner so they are covered by water, and process in a boiling water canner for the time your tested recipe specifies. The Ball recipe lists 20 minutes for pint jars, adjusted for altitude.
Processing time and altitude
Processing times in published recipes assume a particular altitude range, and they increase as elevation goes up because water boils at a lower temperature. Look up your elevation and use the altitude chart that accompanies your tested recipe. If you are unsure of the right adjustment, use the NCHFP guidance for your elevation rather than guessing.
Start timing only when the water is at a full rolling boil with the jars in it. Keep the canner covered during processing, and keep the boil going the entire time.
Cooling, checking seals, and storing
When the time is up, turn off the heat and remove the canner lid. Let the jars stand in the hot water for 5 minutes. Then lift them out without tilting and set them on a towel, away from drafts, so they can cool undisturbed. After 12 to 24 hours, check each seal: the center of the lid should not flex up and down when pressed.
Remove the bands, wipe the jars, label them with the date, and store them in a cool, dark, dry place. Any jar that did not seal should go in the refrigerator and be eaten within a few days, or be reprocessed following the guidance from your tested source. Home-canned fruit is generally considered best within about a year; some sources describe longer storage, but quality (color, texture, flavor) declines with time.
Before opening a jar, check for a bulging or unsealed lid, leakage, spurting liquid, or an off smell. If anything seems wrong, discard the contents without tasting them.
Tips and troubleshooting
- Fruit floats to the top. This often happens with underheated or loosely packed fruit, or with fruit packed in lighter liquid. It is usually cosmetic if the jar sealed properly. Packing tightly and hot packing can reduce it.
- Pears darken. Some darkening is common even when a treatment is used. Keep cut fruit in acidulated water and work quickly. Darker fruit can still be perfectly good to eat.
- Cloudy liquid. Cloudiness can come from starchy or overripe fruit, or from hard water. It is not necessarily a sign of spoilage, but cloudiness combined with a bulging lid, bubbling, or an off odor means the jar should be discarded.
- Liquid loss after processing. Siphoning can result from packing too tightly, from poor bubble removal, or from rapid temperature changes. If the jar sealed and the fruit is still mostly covered, it is typically fine to store, though the exposed fruit may darken.
- Cinnamon stick flavor. A single stick per pint infuses gradually, so the flavor continues to develop on the shelf. Do not add extra sticks without a tested reason, since changes to ingredients can affect more than flavor.
Cinnamon pears, other spices, and pear preserves
Pears and cinnamon pair naturally, and the stick gives a warm, mild flavor without adding sugar. Because apple juice supplies the sweetness, this recipe is often chosen by people looking for fruit canned with less added sugar. If you prefer a sweeter pack, use a light syrup from a tested source.
Pear preserves, which are cooked down with sugar until thick, are a different product with their own tested methods. Follow a tested jam or preserves recipe rather than adapting this one, since the canning process, headspace, and acidity requirements differ; our beginner’s guide to making jam explains how cooked fruit sets and why tested recipes matter. You can also use extra fresh pears in other ways, for example by freezing or drying them.
If you are working with other fruit this season, our guide to canning peach pie filling covers a different type of fruit project, and how to store fresh peaches long term compares your options for the fruit you cannot can right away.
Ways to use canned cinnamon pears
- Eat them straight from the jar as a snack or dessert
- Serve over oatmeal, yogurt, or pancakes
- Top with whipped cream and chopped nuts
- Chop into baked goods or add to a cheese board
- Warm gently and serve with ice cream
FAQ
Can I use sugar syrup instead of apple juice? Yes, a light syrup is a standard tested option. Use a tested syrup ratio from the NCHFP or the maker of your canning jars.
Can I can pears without a canner? Boiling water canning requires a pot deep enough to cover the jars by at least an inch of water, with a rack to keep jars off the bottom. A large stockpot with a rack can work if it meets those conditions. Do not use the oven, the dishwasher, or the microwave to can.
Can I use a pressure canner for pears? Pears are a high-acid fruit and are normally processed in a boiling water canner. Follow the instructions in your tested recipe.
Can I reduce or skip the cinnamon? Cinnamon sticks are a flavoring and can be omitted if you prefer plain pears. Avoid adding ground spices or other ingredients that a tested recipe does not include.