Safety classification
Tested
Testing authority: Bernardin
Safety reviewed: 09/18/2026
Processing details
Altitude adjustment: Use the exact altitude-adjusted schedule in the tested recipe card.
Source & provenance
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Safety classification
Tested recipe. Documented by Bernardin.
Processing details
- Method: Boiling-water
canning ; hot pack - Jar size: 500 ml jars
- Headspace: 1/2 inch (1 cm)
- Processing: 20 minutes at altitudes up to 1,000 ft (305 m); follow Bernardin’s altitude guidance above that elevation.
Tested/documented source
Bernardin: Brandied Pears — Bernardin. The source and recipe card remain authoritative.
Preparation timeline
- Prepare canner, jars, lids, and measured ingredients.
- Cook the complete tested mixture and hot-pack it as directed.
- Process for elevation, wait 5 minutes, then cool upright and undisturbed for 24 hours.
Equipment
- Boiling-water canner with rack
- 500 ml jars with lids and bands
- Large nonreactive preserving pot
- Jar lifter, funnel, and bubble/headspace tool
Visual method guide
- Prepare ingredients uniformly.
- Cook to the source’s stated stage.
- Hot-pack with 1/2-inch headspace.
- Process with jars under at least 1 inch of boiling water.
Safety essentials
Keep the published pear, lemon, syrup, ginger, and brandy proportions; add the measured brandy to each jar exactly as directed.
Do not enlarge jar size or shorten processing time. Refrigerate any unsealed jar.
About this recipe
Pears hot-packed with lemon, ginger, syrup, and measured brandy.
Before you begin
Read the complete recipe card and primary source, measure every ingredient, and confirm your elevation.
Altitude-adjusted processing
20 minutes at altitudes up to 1,000 ft (305 m); use Bernardin’s documented adjustment above that elevation.
Brandied Pears — Bernardin
Ingredients
- 6 lbs (2.7 kg) Pears
- 2 lemons, zest and juice
- 1 -1/2 cups (375 ml) water (approximate)
- 2 -1/2 cups (625 ml) sugar
- 1- 3 inch (7.5 cm) piece fresh gingerroot, peeled and thinly sliced
- 1 1/2 cups (375 ml) brandy
Equipment
- 1 Boiling-water bath canner with rack
- 1 Large stainless or enamel preserving pot
- 1 Canning jars with two-piece lids
- 1 Headspace and bubble tool
Directions
- Place 6 clean 500 ml mason jars on a rack in a boiling water canner. Cover jars with water and heat to a simmer (180°F/82°C). Set screw bands aside. Keep jars hot until ready to use. Preheating Bernardin® lids is not advised.
- The sealing compound used for our home canning lids performs better at room temperature than it does pre-heated in simmering water (180°F). Simply wash lids in hot, soapy water, dry, and set aside until needed.
- Preheating can lead to less vacuum being achieved during water bath canning, and to buckle failures during pressure canning. Peel, halve and core pears. Place in a colour protection solution made of 4 tbsp (60 ml) Fruit-Fresh® dissolved in 8 cups (2000 ml) water, if desired. Set aside.
- With vegetable peeler remove the zest from lemons in a continuous spiral. Squeeze juice from lemons into measuring cup; add sufficient water to make 2 cups (500 ml). In a large stainless steel saucepan combine rind, juice/water mixture, sugar and gingerroot.
- Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Drain pears and add to syrup. Return to a boil. Pack hot pears snugly into a hot jar to within 3/4 inch (2 cm) of top rim. Pour 1/4 cup (50 ml) of brandy over pears.
- Add hot syrup to cover pears to within 1/2 inch (1 cm) of top of jar (headspace). Using nonmetallic utensil, remove air bubbles and adjust headspace, if required, by adding more pears, brandy and hot syrup. Wipe jar rim removing any food residue. Centre sealing disc on clean jar rim.
- Screw band down until resistance is met, then increase to fingertip tight. Return filled jar to rack in canner. Repeat for remaining pears, brandy and hot syrup. When canner is filled, ensure that all jars are covered by at least one inch (2.5 cm) of water.
- Cover canner and bring water to full rolling boil before starting to count processing time.
- At altitudes up to 1000 ft (305 m), process -boil filled jars - 20 minutes.* When processing time is complete, remove canner lid, wait 5 minutes, then remove jars without tilting and place them upright on a protected work surface. Cool upright, undisturbed 24 hours; DO NOT RETIGHTEN screw bands.
- After cooling check jar seals. Sealed discs curve downward and do not move when pressed. Remove screw bands; wipe and dry bands and jars. Store screw bands separately or replace loosely on jars, as desired. Label and store jars in a cool, dark place.
- For best quality, use home canned foods within one year.
- Processing: At altitudes up to 1000 ft (305 m), process -boil filled jars - 20 minutes - 20 minutes.
- Altitude-adjusted processing table: At altitudes up to 1000 ft (305 m), process -boil filled jars - 20 minutes
Recipe Notes
Private Notes
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Share your results how it turned out.Serving suggestions
Use as a condiment, fruit accompaniment, or ingredient appropriate to the recipe’s flavor.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use a larger jar?
No. Use only the documented jar size.
Can I change the formula?
Do not alter the tested formulation for shelf-stable storage.
Recipe context
Pears hot-packed with lemon, ginger, syrup, and measured brandy. It is not interchangeable with an unprocessed refrigerator version.
Troubleshooting
Seal failure: Refrigerate the jar. Discard spoiled food without tasting.
Source and provenance
Primary source: Bernardin. Editorial organization changes only; tested directions remain in the WPRM card.