Pear Butter

Ingredients

• 10 large ripe pears 5 lb quartered and cored
• 1 c water
• 2 c sugar
• 12 tsp grated orange rind
• 3 Tbsp orange juice
• 14 tsp ground nutmeg

Directions

1. Combine pears and water in a large Dutch oven
2. Cover and cook over medium-low heat 40 minutes or until pears are soft stirring occasionally
3. Drain
4. Press pears through a sieve or food mill measure 1 quart of puree
5. Combine 1 quart puree with remaining ingredients in a Dutch oven
6. Cook over medium heat stirring frequently 15 minutes or until mixture thickens
7. Remove from heat skim off foam
8. Quickly pour hot pear mixture into hot sterilized jars leaving 14-inch headspace wipe jar rims
9. Cover at once with metal lids and screw on bands
10. Process in boiling water bath 10 minutes
11. Yield
12. 2 pints