Pear and Raspberry Jam

When I came across raspberries at the Third & Fairfax Farmer’s Market just before Christmas, I was overcome with a craving for raspberry jam. Don’t know why, but I decided to add pears to the jam. The result is everything I love about raspberries—that tangy-sweet taste of summer—with the comforting winter flavor of pears. Use it on your morning toast, a PBJ, pancakes, waffles … whatever you’re in the mood for.

Ingredients:

- 1 cup pears. Approximately 2 pears. I used Bartlett.
- 1 cup raspberries
- ½ cup sugar
- Juice of one lemon
- 2 tsp calcium water (see note below)
- 1 tsp pectin (see note below)

Directions:

Day One:

1. Peel the pears, remove their stems, cut them in two, core them, and cut them into small dice.

2. In a preserving pan (I used a regular saucepan), combine the pears, raspberries, sugar, calcium water, and lemon juice.

3. Bring to a simmer and then pour into a bowl.

4. Cover with a piece of parchment paper and refrigerate overnight.

Day Two:

1. Bring the mixture to a boil in a preserving pan. Skim, if necessary.

2. Add pectin and continue cooking on high heat for about ten minutes, stirring gently. Skim carefully, if necessary.

3. Check the set. I did this by putting a plate in the fridge. I dribbled a little of the mixture on the cold plate. When it quickly gelled, it was ready.

4. Put jam into jars immediately and seal.

This recipe yielded 2 (and a bit) 8 oz. jars.

Note on Pectin & Calcium Water:

I used Pomona’s Universal Pectin, which allows you to use less sugar—I don’t have a sweet tooth, and I try to avoid sugar when possible. I made the calcium water according to the directions that come with the packet. Pomona’s Universal Pectin can be bought at Whole Foods.

Note on Canning:

For complete canning & safety information, go to Home Canning or the National Center for Home Food Preservation.

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