| Prep Time | 10 minutes |
| Cook Time | 60 minutes |
| Passive Time | 24 hours |
| Servings |
|
- 8 pears Williams' bon chrétien (Bartlett)
- 2 apples medium
- 2 oranges
- 3 cups brown sugar
- 2 pods star anise
- 1 tablespoon ginger fresh, grated
- 1 piece muslim cloth approximately 20 cm x 20 cm
- kitchen twine
Ingredients
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- Wash the pears, apples and oranges.
- Peel and core the pears and apples, add the peels and cores with seeds into a small bowl. Discard only the stems. Chop the fruit into chunks and add into a large bowl.
- Juice the oranges; pour the juice into the large bowl with the fruit. Cut some of the orange peels into large pieces; add them into the small bowl with the peels. Add in the star anise.
- Wrap the peels, cores with seeds, and star anise in a muslim cloth and tie with kitchen twine.
- Peel and grate the fresh ginger root; put the grated ginger in the large bowl.
- Sprinkle sugar over the fruit. Put the muslim bag in the large bowl. Place plastic wrap over the bowl. Chill the fruit in the fridge overnight or for at least 8 hours to allow the fruit to macerate — maceration is used in order for the jam to attain to the perfect consistency without the addition of pectin.
- Place all the ingredients in a large saucepan. Bring to the boil over medium-high heat and simmer for 15'. Reduce the heat and simmer for 35'. Do not stir the mixture, gently shake the saucepan. After the jam is boiled, do not remove from the heat. Put the lid on the saucepan or cover it with a tea towel and let the jam rest for 8 hours or overnight.
- Remove the muslim bag. Bring the jam to the boil over medium heat and simmer for 10' in order for the jam to reach set point. Occasionally shake the saucepan. Remove from the heat.
- Ladle the jam into hot jars (see the Jars sterilisation process in the Recipe notes).
Festive Recipe
Pear jam with star anise is perfect for a picnic, Thanksgiving and Christmas breakfast or just a beautiful Sunday brunch with family and friends. This gourmet jam will impress your guests and you will wow your friends and family!
Breakfast Recipe
Freshly baked Pelanos bread and homemade pear jam with star anise anyone? You can spread vegan butter on slices of bread before adding the jam.
If you have a sophisticated palate, slice freshly baked Pelanos bread, top with Sophia's vegan and dairy-free almond cheese and pear jam with star anise.
Serve with ginger tea with cinnamon and clove (see Tea Pairing).
My pear jam with star anise recipe is a Mediterranean gastronomic treasure!
Tea pairing: Pear Jam with Star Anise & Ginger tea with Cinnamon and Clove
To the tea lovers and fanatics who passionately seek food and tea pairings and yearn to explore the dynamic of the aromas and flavours we find in tea and food, I firmly recommend a ginger tea with cinnamon and clove as the perfect sipping partner.
In order to make a cup of ginger tea put 1-2 slices of ginger root, a small cinnamon stick (preferably Ceylon cinnamon) and a whole clove into a cup of tea and pour the boiling water. Ginger tea with cinnamon and clove not only enhances but also brings out the aromas and flavours of the pear jam with star anise without overpowering it.
Ginger tea can increase overall body temperature for a short period of time.
Jars sterilisation process
You should make sure that your jars are clean to maintain the freshness of the jam. Sterilise your jars by washing them (and their lids) thoroughly in hot soapy water. Rinse them well. Heat the oven to 100°C. Place the jars and their lids on an oven shelf and put them in the oven for 20'. Using a funnel, ladle the jam into the hot jars, filling to just below the rim. It is important that the jam is still hot when filling the jars. Cover with a lid. Immediately flip the jar upside down. Leave to cool completely. When cool it creates a suction that pulls the lid down. When you open the lid, you can hear a pop. The jam can be stored for up to 1 year in a cool dry place. Refrigerate after opening.
Useful Information
- Use ripe and underripe pears. You can use Bartlett, Bosc, Comice, or D'Anjou pears. Underripe fruit have more pectin than ripe fruit. Most of the pectin is in the peels and pith and thus we wrap them in muslim cloth.
- This jam has thick pieces of fruit. If you prefer a smooth jam with no chunks, mash the pears gently with a potato masher as they cook.
- My recipe makes 3 jars (350ml) of pear jam with star anise.
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