Fall Pear Butter

6-8 pounds pears bartlet, bosc, kefir, red or any mix of large pears tender but not mushy (you need 6-8 pounds cleaned so you need to buy 8-10 pounds to account for waste)

5 lemons, juiced
2 cups organic Florida crystals sugar
2 cups scotch, bourbon, dark rum, calvados or apple cider *we use scotch

Pour the lemon juice into a stainless steel (*non aluminum) 8quart pot.
Peel, core, and rough chop the pears into lemon juice, tossing to coat and prevent browning.
When you get 1/3rd of the pears into the pot add the scotch (your choice of cooking liquid), and continue to add pears and toss to coat.

As soon as you get 2/3 rds of the pears into the pot add the sugar, toss to coat, and continue to add the rest of the pears.
After all your pears are in the pot place over medium/low heat and bring to a boil, stirring regularly to prevent sticking.
Reduce heat to a simmer; stir regularly, and cook until pears are translucent and saucy.
Remove from the heat and use an immersion blender to blend your pears into a smooth sauce with a few chunks.
Preheat your oven to 250 degrees.
Pour into a shallow (*non aluminum) baking pan; the more surface the faster it reduces, and bake about 8 hours, stirring well and scraping the sides every 2 hours until your pear butter is reduced by almost half.
Pour your finished pear butter into clean mason jars and freeze or water bath can to store.
* Aluminum cookware will change the color, texture, and taste of this butter.

#fall #gardens #livinggreen #naturalfoods #noordinarychick #pears #preserving