SLOW COOKER PEAR OR APPLE BUTTER 

This year we had a tree full of pears and no apples, so I decided to make pear butter in place of our usual batch of apple butter.  Slow cooking pear or apple butter fills the house with a wonderful smell!  It's a terrific topping for waffles, pancakes, or to spread on toast, etc.  I've found that it doesn't need any sugar if ripe pears or sweet apples are used.  I like to freeze it in small jars.  

Pears need to be picked before they are fully ripe, and when they are still a tad green and just beginning to turn yellow.  Put them in paper bags with an apple, roll up the top of the bag, and they should ripen in a few days.  The apple helps jump start the ripening process.  Don't let them get over-ripe and mushy.

 

 

 

  six or more pounds ripe pears or apples

2 tablespoons ground cinnamon

2 teaspoons ground cloves

FOR PEAR BUTTER:  Wash, halve, and core pears.  I use a handy tool I picked up at a kitchen supply store to core them:  See above left.  (The tool also works nicely to seed cucumbers and summer squash.)  It is not necessary to peel them unless you want to.  Cut pear halves in two and place in a food processor. Process until pureed.  Pour into a large (5-6 quart) slow cooker).  Repeat until the pureed pears are about 2 inches from the top of the cooker.  Stir in cinnamon and cloves.  Cover and cook on high, stirring and scraping around the top every 30-45 minutes, until the mixture starts to bubble.  Uncover and continue to cook and stir until the mixture is reduced by about half and the pear butter thickens.  This takes about about 7-10 hours.  Cool and freeze.   Makes 2 1/2-3 quarts.

FOR APPLE BUTTER:  Peel, core, and slice apples.  An apple corer/peeler/slicer saves a lot of time.  Place sliced apples in a 5-6 quart slow cooker, up to about 2 inches from the top.  Sprinkle cinnamon and cloves over the top and stir.  Cover and cook on high for 2-4 hours, or until apples are tender and bubbling.  Uncover and cook and stir until mixture is reduced by about half and apple butter is thickened.  This takes about 6-10 hours.   Cool and freeze.  Makes about 2 1/2 quarts.