spiced pear jam with rum
Bartlett pears are recommended for this recipe. Any dark or light rum will work fine, but Captain Morgan’s Silver Spiced Rum is especially good in this recipe.
8 cups fresh pears, peeled and chopped into ½ inch pieces
2 cups granulated sugar
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
10 whole green cardamom pods, lightly crushed in a muslin bag
1 teaspoon whole allspice berries
4 whole 1-inch cinnamon sticks
2 tablespoons rum
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Prepare canner; sterilize 8 half-pint jars and lids.
Place cardamom pods in a medium-sized muslin bag and crush lightly with a rolling pin or the back of a spoon. Add the allspice and cinnamon sticks to the bag.
In a Dutch oven or large saucepan, combine the pears, sugar, and lemon juice. Add the bag of spices.
Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring frequently, for 10-15 minutes, or until thickened. Remove from heat, remove the spice bag and skim off any foam, if necessary. Stir in rum and vanilla extract.
Transfer the hot jam into canning jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Stir with a chopstick or other utensil to remove air bubbles. Wipe rims, position lids and screw down rings until just fingertip tight.
Process jars in a hot water bath for 10 minutes. Turn off heat and lift cans out with canning tongs. Set aside to cool on a counter or table for 8 hours or overnight. Check seals; refrigerate any unsealed jars and use within 2-3 weeks.
