This Crock pot Pear Butter Recipe is one of the best ways to preserve an abundance of pears. Not to mention they make the perfect hostess gifts.
Introduction
For most of my adult life, I never gave fruit butter any consideration. To be honest, I had a preconceived idea that fruit butter actually had butter in it (if you could see me now, I am blushing …)
About a decade ago, I had a conversation with a colleague who enlightened me on the subject of fruit butter.
And that is how my obsession with fruit butter began…
I started with this spiced apple butter recipe, and this pear butter was the natural next step!
But I didn’t stop there. I also published a recipe for plum butter that tastes amazing!
What is a fruit butter?
A fruit butter is a highly concentrated form of pureed fruit (apple, pear, plum, etc…). It has a smooth consistency and silky texture, which can easily be spread, like butter. Spices are often used to highlight the fruity taste, and they are usually made without any pectin.
How is a fruit butter made?
Fruit butter is made by chopping fruit into chunks and cooking it so that it softens. It is then pureed and cooked again until all the moisture evaporates, transforming into a smooth, silky fruit spread. Fruit butter can easily be made in a slow cooker.
I have previously mentioned that I have a wonderful pear tree growing in my backyard that my dad planted. It truly is a privilege to watch the May blossoms slowly develop into actual pears.
A recent weather warning of thunderstorms and risk of high winds left us no choice but to go pear picking in our backyard – we didn’t want to end up with pears splattered everywhere, blown around by the wind!
So we picked the pears… about 40 pounds worth!
Now, my dilemma. What to do with two bushels of freshly picked pears? I considered making this Almond Pear Tart. But there are only so many tarts one can make. I also have a recipe for a wonderful pear cake, but then again, that would only have used up three pears out of the two bushels that we had…
That’s the thing with fruit trees – the fruit ripens all at the same time, and then you are left scrambling, trying to find ways to use or preserve it for the long winter months.
So if you are wondering how to preserve pears, I have the perfect solution… make this perfectly spiced pear butter! It really is so easy to make in a crockpot!
How to make Slow Cooker Pear Butter:
The first thing we are going to do is give the pears a good rinse. Once that is done, we need to peel and core the pears. Feel free to use a variety of pears for this recipe.
Pro Tip: Use a melon baller to remove the core of the pear.
Next, we need to add the peeled and cored pears to the slow cooker along with a scraped vanilla been, some orange peel, a few tablespoons of brown sugar, orange juice and a little bit of water.
Pro Tip: The water is added to prevent the pears from scorching so it is important not to skip this addition.
Set your crockpot on high and cook for 3-4 hours. The total time will depend on the ripeness and the type of pears. As soon as the pears have softened enough to be pureed, remove the vanilla bean and the orange peel.
With a handheld immersion blender, process the pears until smooth. You will notice that this is a very wet mixture. Alternatively, the cooked pears can be transferred to a food processor and pureed.
Next, cook it down until there is no liquid that seeps out when a teaspoon of the fruit puree is placed on a dish.
How to use
- Spread it on toast, muffins, breakfast buns, bagels, french toast, waffles or pancakes;
- Swirl it in yogurt, oatmeal, cottage cheese or even ricotta;
- Makes a great topping for ice cream and parfaits;
- Makes a great sandwich spread, especially with cheese
Nutrition Note: This pear butter can be a great fat-free alternative for butter. But remember, fat-free does not mean calorie-free. Moderation is key!
As I was looking for some fruit butter inspiration, I was surprised to see that some recipes actually had up to 4 cups of sugar added to 4-5 pounds of pear. I think that would be appropriate for a jam or jelly, but for a fruit butter? I’ll let you decide.
It’s definitely too sweet for me. I opted for just a couple of tablespoons of brown sugar, due to the fact that my pears were not yet fully ripened.
Recipe origins
My daughter-in-law and daughter are just as obsessed as I am with fruit butter. And so they became my taste testers for this recipe. After some tweaking, we decided to enhance the flavor of the pears with some vanilla beans and just a hint of orange.
In case you are wondering, we tried adding different “warm” spices to the pears (cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice). As you probably know, spices have the wonderful ability to complement and add a little bit of depth to the fruit.
We felt the delicate flavor of the pear was overpowered by the spices, despite the fact that we used very little amounts.
We then attempted a lemon and vanilla bean pear butter, followed by an orange and vanilla bean pear butter. Ultimately, we decided that it was best with a hint of orange. The inspiration for this pear butter came from a recipe found on this site.
It really is one of the best ways to preserve an abundance of pears. Not to mention, they make the perfect hostess gifts.
Enjoy!
THANKS SO MUCH for following and being part of the She Loves Biscotti community where you will find Simple & Tasty Family-Friendly Recipes with an Italian Twist.
Ciao for now,
Maria
★★★★★ If you have made this Pear Butter recipe, I would love to hear about it in the comments below and be sure to rate the recipe!
Recipe
Crock pot Pear Butter Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 ½ pounds ripe pears peeled, cored and cut into pieces
- ⅓ cup water
- ½ vanilla bean split lengthwise and scraped to release seeds
- 1-2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons orange juice freshly squeezed
- 1-2 strips of orange peel
- pinch of salt
Instructions
- Combine all of the ingredients in a slow cooker.
- Cover and cook on the high setting for about 3 -4 hours (Total time will vary based on ripeness of pear).
- Stir occasionally.
- When the pears have softened, remove the vanilla bean and the orange zest.
- With a handheld immersion blender, process the pears until smooth. Alternatively, the cooked pears can be transferred to a food processor, pureed and transferred back to the slow cooker.
- Set the slow cooker on low and cook for an additional 6-8 hours. The total time will depend on the total moisture of the fruit. The pear butter is done when there is no liquid that seeps out when a teaspoon of the butter is placed on a dish.
- Ladle the pear butter into sterile canning jars. Always leave about ¼ inch of head space. Try to remove as many air bubbles as possible.
- Seal with sterile lids and rings.
- Process in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes.
- Remove jars from the pot.
- Allow to cool to room temperature.
- Check the lids by pressing on the center of each seal. If it springs back, the jars need to be refrigerated. Otherwise, they can be stored in a cool dark place for about 1 year.
- Once the jar is opened, it can be stored for about 3 weeks in the refrigerator.
Video
Notes
- I used Madagascar Natural Bourbon Vanilla Beans;
- This recipe works well with any variety and/or combination of pears;
- To freeze the pear butter: Allow the pear butter to cool to room temperature; place in containers which are freezer safe (always leave about 1-inch headspace) and freeze. They will keep for about 6 months in the freezer. Once thawed and opened, they should be stored in the refrigerator.
Nutrition
This recipe was originally published on September 18, 2016 and republished on September 26, 2018 with improvements to the recipe, updated content and a video.
Josette leclerc
Chère Maria, un grand merci pour cette merveilleuse recette. Mon petit fils s’est régalé. La texture et la saveur sont incomparables.
Maria
J’en suis ravie!!! Merci Josette ♥♥♥
Stacy
Your vanilla pear butter recipe was exactly what I was looking for when I realized that I had an entire box of over-ripe pears. My mum made lovely vanilla pear sauce when I was a child. The vanilla worked so well with the delicate flavor of pear. Your addition of orange really adds depth to the butter. So good. Thank you! 🙂
Maria
My pleasure Stacy. Thrilled to hear you enjoyed this pear butter recipe. Thanks so much for sharing, appreciate it.
Christine
Maria, my pears are so small! Same with my apples! Can I cook them cored but with the skins on? If the butter is pureed, it would be smoothed, yes?
Maria
Hi Christine, my pears are also small this year!
I was thinking of doing the same thing since it will take forever to peel them thinly. Yes, you can leave the skin on. The final product will still be smooth, but not as smooth as a pear butter made without the skins. It will however still taste amazing! Have fun making pear butter! Thanks for stopping by, appreciate it.
Christie
Great!
Maria
Thanks Christie!!!
Nelina
This is my first time making fruit butter and canning, my friend suggested the idea when I mentioned we have a pear tree gifting us many pears, the instructions were thorough and it turned out great. Will be delicious Christmas gifts this year. Thank you!
Maria
I am thrilled to hear this Nelina! I am still waiting for my pears to ripen to do the same thing! Thanks so much for taking the time to share, appreciate it!
Jackie Stevens
Have you tried a little cardamon?
Maria
Hi Jackie, no I haven’t… that is a great suggestion! Thanks so much for stopping by!
Sue
Where can I find that type vanilla? I live in a very small town that doesn’t have it. My pears are ready now?
Maria
Hi Sue. You can easily replace with vanilla extract. I would add it at the end of the process. Start with 1/2 teaspoon and taste; you can then easily adjust to your own personal taste. If time was not an issue, they can easily be purchased online. Thanks so much for stopping by, appreciate it.
Ashuary
After blending and putting putter back into slow cooker, do you leave the lid off to cook down and thicken? Or lid on? Temp setting high or low? Thanks-
Maria
I will keep the lid on and let it cook for an additional 6-8 hours on low. This is really just a guideline as the ripeness and variety of the pears will dictate total times. Please let me know if you have any other questions. Thanks so much for stopping by 🙂
Cathy Stephens
This recipe is amazing! Question though — mine turned pretty dark instead of staying the light color that yours is. As it cooks in the slow cooker, it gets much darker and looks more like apple butter. It’s fine and still tastes amazing, but I’m wondering how yours is so light?
Maria
I’m happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe. I think it might be the variety of the pears. I have a Flemish beauty pear tree. Can’t think of anything else that would create a darker color.
Great comment. Thanks so much for taking the time to share, appreciate it:)
Kristi
Amazing! The flabor and the smells pervades the house. My new favorite flavor combination for the fall. Wish I had two crockpots going to make a bigger batch. Also, I saved the crockpot pear juice for a porkchop glaze or ….. Just too good to toss. Thanks for sharing your creativity!
Maria
So glad to hear you enjoyed the recipe Kristi. I have recently updated it so that the pear can continue to cook and the final flavors really highlight the pear flavor. It’s a delicate flavored pear butter. Appreciate you taking the time to comment, Thanks so much ♥
Mona
Can this be hot water bath instead of freezer
Maria
Yes, they can be processed in a hot water bath. Thanks for stopping by 🙂