Easy Slow Cooker Spiced Pear Butter
Make a thick, spiced pear butter using your slow cooker. This recipe is simple and yields a flavorful spread perfect for toast or gifting.
- Prep Time: 25 min
- Cook Time: 8 hours
- Total Time: 8 hours 25 min
- Yield: About 4 half-pint jars
- Category: Preserves
- Method: Slow Cooking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Scale
- 4 lbs ripe pears, peeled, cored, and quartered
- 1 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Instructions
- Place the peeled, cored, and quartered pears into the slow cooker.
- Add the brown sugar and water to the slow cooker.
- Stir in the cinnamon, cloves, vanilla extract, and nutmeg.
- Cover the slow cooker and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours, or on high for 3 to 4 hours, until the pears are very soft.
- Carefully transfer the cooked pear mixture to a blender or use an immersion blender to puree until smooth.
- For a thicker butter, transfer the puree to a large saucepan. Simmer over medium-low heat, stirring often, for 20 to 40 minutes until the mixture reduces and thickens to your liking.
- If canning, ladle the hot butter into sterilized jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Wipe rims and process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes.
- Cool jars completely before storing. If not canning, store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks.
Notes
- Use firm, ripe pears for the best flavor. Bartlett or Bosc work well.
- If you prefer a less sweet spread, reduce the brown sugar by 1/4 cup.
- For a gift, tie a piece of fabric over the lid of a canned jar and attach a ribbon.
- You can substitute apple sauce for some of the water if you want a slight apple pear blend.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 tablespoons
- Calories: 85
- Sugar: 18
- Sodium: 2
- Fat: 0.1
- Saturated Fat: 0
- Unsaturated Fat: 0
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 22
- Fiber: 1.5
- Protein: 0.2
- Cholesterol: 0
