11 simple recipes for making pear jelly for the winter

Fresh pear jelly recipes for the winter are striking in their simplicity and readily available ingredients. Yet, this delicacy is delicious, aromatic, and richly colored. This vitamin-packed treat is a must-have. But if you're tired of the classic jelly recipe, you can add saffron, rum, spices, orange, cream, wine, cinnamon, and other ingredients.

The intricacies of preparing pear jelly for the winter

Making jelly is quite simple. You can use either gelatin or its natural analogue, agar-agar, as a thickening agent. You can also thicken the product naturally by heating it at high temperatures for a long time (naturally, this will take 2-3 hours, or maybe even longer).

The following nuances need to be taken into account:

• If you are short on time, you can use a multicooker set to the “Stewing” mode;
• You can also make aromatic jam in a bread maker, which also doesn’t take much time;
• the amount of sugar cannot be reduced, since in this case the mixture will not thicken and you will end up with ordinary jam;
• You can’t store the prepared jam; it needs to be immediately rolled into jars without waiting for it to cool;
• You can check if it's ready by dropping a regular drop - if it spreads over the surface, then the jam needs to be cooked further or ingredients need to be added;
• It is better to roll up jam in glass jars, but it is preferable to store it in the refrigerator either in glass or in clay pots.

Pear delicacies are usually delicious and beautiful to look at. If you want an even more orange color, you can add orange or lemon zest.

Selecting and preparing fruits

Pears for making homemade jelly must be selected with particular care. This culinary delight will only come out if they're fresh, uncracked, and firm. The flesh should be soft, however. In this case, the jam will be homogeneous, without lumps. Any mid-season or late-season variety will do.

Before canning, pears are washed thoroughly. They are rinsed (you can leave them in warm water for an hour or two to remove any germs), then peeled of the thin skin, and the seeds are removed (along with the membranes where they are located). If the skin is not very thick, it is not necessary to remove it.

The fruit is pureed in a blender or minced. In this case, the skin isn't essential.

But you can also make jam from large pieces of fruit, and in this case it is better to remove the skin.

The best recipes with step-by-step preparation

Use one of the proven recipes.

A simple recipe without gelatin

The simplest recipe is made with just two ingredients. You'll need:

• 1 kilogram of pears;
• 0.5 kilograms of sugar.

The fruit is peeled, de-seeded, and either minced or blended. The sugar is always ground together—this will improve the flavor and thicken the jam more quickly.

Place the mixture over low heat and bring to a boil. Stir constantly, as burning the pears will result in a bitter jam.

The thick foam must be removed with a clean spoon (if you lick it while trying the jam, you must rinse it and then sterilize it), otherwise the jam will become matte and will not be attractive and transparent.

It's impossible to say exactly how long it takes for the jam to set. It varies depending on the type of pear, the cooking temperature, and other factors. But it's usually at least 40-50 minutes. A simple test for readiness is to drop a drop onto a plate. If the drop holds its shape, the jam is ready.

If you plan to store the mixture for a long time under iron lids, add half a teaspoon of citric acid. Simmer for about 2 minutes, then immediately seal in one or two-liter containers.

Lemon-pear jelly with saffron and rum

For this recipe you need to take:

• 3 kilograms of pears;
• 2 lemons;
• 50 ml rum (dark, natural, expensive);
• half a teaspoon of saffron;
• 500 grams of sugar;
• standard packaging of gelatin.

Cut the lemons and pears into small pieces, sprinkle with all the sugar, and leave for 12 hours. Then place over low heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Puree using your preferred method, then add the remaining ingredients and simmer for another 10 minutes. Add the gelatin, pour into molds, and place in the refrigerator on the bottom shelf to set.

Pear pieces in jelly with agar-agar and spices

Agar-agar replaces the traditional, but non-vegetable, gelatin. For this recipe, you'll need:

• 1 liter of pear syrup (prepare in advance);
• 200 grams of whole products (need to be boiled first);
• 2 cups of sugar;
• 15 gram pack of agar-agar;
• water;
• cinnamon to taste.

The preparation instructions are quite simple. Simply combine the syrup with the thickener as directed, then add fresh fruit slices. Then, simply place the syrup in molds and refrigerate to set.

Recipe for a multicooker

A slow cooker makes a housewife's job easier. It not only helps preserve more vitamins but also creates a more delicate and intricate flavor and aroma. Take:

• 2 kilograms of pears;
• 600 grams of sugar;
• half a packet of citric acid.

Pears are easily pureed using a convenient method. Place them in the bottom of a slow cooker along with sugar and citric acid. Set the steaming mode to simmer for at least two hours. Meanwhile, prepare the jars and lids, sterilize them, and seal them while still hot.

Pear jelly for the winter with Zhelfix and orange zest

Zhelfix is ​​an additive for various fruit desserts that allows you to quickly make jelly. It's easier to use than regular gelatin or agar-agar, and it's completely lump-free. For each liter of prepared pear juice, use the following ingredients:

• 1 standard package of Zhelfix;
• half a kilo of granulated sugar;
• zest removed from one large orange.

Bring pear juice to a boil, add sugar and finely chopped lemon zest. Stir the zhelfix, pour into molds, and refrigerate. This delicacy sets very quickly and is ready to eat in 40-50 minutes.

Jelly made from whole pears in their own juice

You will need to take:

• 1 liter of juice;
• 3 small pears;
• 3 cups of sugar;
• gelatin;
• spices to taste.

The key to making this jam is to first make the juice. For a liter of juice, use three or four small pears and simmer over low heat. Boil with sugar until the whole fruit softens, be sure to stir and skim off the foam. Only after the mixture has reached a slightly thick consistency do you add a little gelatin. You can also add cardamom, saffron, cinnamon, or vanilla.

Assorted pears with cream

This recipe will delight you with a very unusual, creamy, soft flavor, mixed with bright fruity notes. You'll need:

• 1 kilogram of pears of different varieties;
• 300 grams of sugar;
• liquid cream from 25 percent 100 milliliters.

The fruit is thinly sliced ​​and cooked in the standard manner. Pureeing is not necessary, as this will cause the flavors of each variety to blend, which won't be particularly pleasant. Add the cream 10 minutes before the end of cooking.

Spiced jelly with wine

This jelly doesn't need to be sealed for the winter, but it also doesn't keep in the refrigerator for long. You'll need:

• pear jam or juice;
• 100 ml of red wine, grape wine, but you can also use any homemade fruit wine;
• spices (cardamom, vanilla, nutmeg, cinnamon - all to taste).

First, make the jelly in the standard way, then add wine. Any thickening agent is added at the very end. To prevent the seasonings from spoiling the appearance of the treat, you can wrap them in a cloth bag and then simply remove the bag.

With orange

For this recipe you will need:

• 1 kg of late, small pears;
• 1 large orange;
• 400 grams of granulated sugar;
• any thickener.

Place the chopped pears over low heat. After 30 minutes of cooking, add the orange juice. Remove the pears and puree them using your favorite method. Then return them to the stove and simmer for another half hour or more. Check for doneness by simply dropping a drop onto a plate. If the drop holds its shape, the jam is ready.

If you don’t want to cook the mixture for a long time, you can add regular gelatin (but the jars won’t keep for as long with it).

In a bread maker

Jam is made in a bread machine using the classic method. However, the cooking time is reduced. It only takes an hour to get a thick, aromatic, and delicious jam.

With cinnamon

Cinnamon jam will be a memorable treat. It's delicious added to seasonal charlotte or sponge cake frosting. This jelly is prepared using the same recipe. For a liter of the finished mixture, you'll need just half a teaspoon of cinnamon.

How to store treats in winter

Store sealed jam in jars in a cool, dry place, away from direct sunlight. It will last no more than two years from the date of sealing.

If the product isn't sealed in a sterilized container, it can be kept in the refrigerator for up to three days. Avoid odors—jam will quickly absorb them.