Small batch pear ginger jam
This is a half-recipe handed down to me by a dear friend. The jam is not too sweet, with enough ginger to be noticeable, but not too heavy.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds ripe pears (Bosc or Bartlett) - peeled, cored and cut into small pieces About 4 pears
- 2 tablespoons peeled and minced fresh ginger 1/2 oz/20 g
- 1 & 1/2 tablespoons grated lemon zest 1/4 oz/10 g
- 3 cups granulated sugar 21 oz/594 g
Instructions
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Put all of the ingredients into the large pot. Either layer them or mix. Let the mixture stand at room temperature for at least 1 hour, until all the sugar dissolves.
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On low heat, bring the mixture to a simmer. Continue cooking until the jam is thick but not sticky, stirring frequently. Cooking time varies considerably. The range Deborah provided for a double recipe (using 4 pounds of pears) was 90 minutes to almost 2 hours. I found that my 2 pound batches took about 1 & 1/2 to 1 & 3/4 hours, i.e. 90 - 105 minutes. To test for doneness, either use a thermometer (done at 220 degrees F/105 C or use frozen plates. The plate test requires freezing the plates until quite cold (I put them in the freezer when I start the jam cooking.) Remove a plate from the freezer. Spoon a small amount of jam onto the plate. After a minute or so, when it is cool enough to touch, run your finger through the jam. If it has a skin and does not run, it's set. If it is still runny, let it continue to simmer for another few minutes and test again.
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Once the jam is ready, remove the pot from the heat. Let it sit for about 5 minutes, then ladle it into the jars, clean off any drips with a moistened cloth and close the jars. Refrigerate
Recipe Notes
For a good description of the plate test and another way to check for doneness using the spoon (the "sheet test"), see Food in Jars, a wonderful resource on canning.