Safety classification
● Tested
Testing authority: National Center for Home Food Preservation
Safety reviewed: 09/21/2026
Processing details
- Method
- Boiling-water
canning - Jar size
- Pint jars only
- Headspace
- 1/2 inch
- Yield
- About 8 pint jars
Safety classification
● Tested
Testing authority: National Center for Home Food Preservation
Safety reviewed: 09/21/2026
Processing details
- Method
- Boiling-water
canning - Jar size
- Pint jars only
- Headspace
- 1/2 inch
- Yield
- About 8 pint jars
Tested source
NCHFP: Pear Pickles. Preserve every tested proportion, preparation control, jar limit, headspace, time, temperature, pressure, and altitude adjustment.
Preparation timeline
- Prepare the correct canner and jars.
- Use pickling pears and white vinegar labeled 5% acidity. Hold peeled fruit in the specified ascorbic-acid solution and drain before cooking.
- Fill jars using the tested pack style and headspace.
- Process with the schedule below.
- Cool 12–24 hours and check seals.
Equipment
- Correct boiling-water or pressure canner for this recipe
- Pint jars only, lids, and bands
- Nonreactive cookware and measuring tools
- Canning funnel, jar lifter, headspace tool, and timer
Visual method guide
- Prepare
- Measure exactly
- Complete tested preparation
- Fill to 1/2 inch
- Process
- Cool and check
Safety essentials
Use pickling pears and white vinegar labeled 5% acidity. Hold peeled fruit in the specified ascorbic-acid solution and drain before cooking.
Do not change the tested formula, substitute an unapproved process, or use larger jars. Refrigerate unsealed jars.
About this recipe
Pear Pickles is a tested NCHFP home-canning recipe with a yield of about 8 pint jars.
Before you begin
Read the complete source procedure and prepare all equipment before filling jars. Safety depends on the recipe-specific controls shown here and in the card.
Tested source
NCHFP: Pear Pickles. Preserve every tested proportion, preparation control, jar limit, headspace, time, temperature, pressure, and altitude adjustment.
Pear Pickles — NCHFP
Ingredients
- 8 cups sugar
- 4 cups white vinegar 5% acidity
- 2 cups water
- 8 cinnamon sticks 2-inch pieces
- 2 tbsp whole cloves
- 2 tbsp whole allspice
- 8 lb Seckel pears or another pickling pear
Equipment
- Boiling-water canner
- Canning jars About seven to eight pint jars
Directions
- Combine sugar, 5% white vinegar, water, and cinnamon. Tie cloves and allspice in a clean thin cloth, add, bring to a boil, cover, and simmer about 30 minutes.
- Wash and peel pears and remove blossom ends. Stems may remain. Halve or quarter large pears. Hold peeled fruit in 1/2 teaspoon ascorbic acid per 2 quarts water, then drain.
- Add drained pears to hot syrup, bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer 20 to 25 minutes.
- Pack hot pears into hot pint jars, adding one 2-inch cinnamon piece per jar. Cover with boiling syrup, leaving 1/2-inch headspace. Remove bubbles, adjust, wipe rims, and apply lids.
- Process pints for 20 minutes at 0–1,000 ft, 25 minutes at 1,001–3,000 ft, 30 minutes at 3,001–6,000 ft, or 35 minutes above 6,000 ft.
Recipe Notes
Private Notes
Questions or results?
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Tried this recipe?
Share your results how it turned out.Serving suggestions
Chill after opening and serve in portions appropriate to the finished preserve.
Frequently asked questions
Can I change the process?
No. Follow the tested source and recipe card exactly.
What if a jar does not seal?
Refrigerate promptly or follow current NCHFP corrective guidance within 24 hours.
Recipe context
Do not combine this record with another preservation formula.
Troubleshooting
Verify jar size, headspace, complete processing control, and seals. If processing is interrupted, do not treat the jar as shelf stable.
Source & provenance
Garden planning for this recipe
Plant, space, variety, zone, and timing estimates live on dedicated ingredient pages:
Typical canning season
Season: Summer, Fall
Months: August, September, October
How much of the main ingredient should I grow?
25–50 lb of Tree fruit per person per year
This is an annual planning range that includes preserving and typical fresh use. Plant, row-foot, and square-foot estimates are shown only when compatible cited yield or spacing data is available.
Garden yields vary by cultivar, climate, soil, pests, and care. Always measure the exact prepared ingredient amount required by the tested canning recipe.