Lemon Pearberry Jam -

Another quick post for a new combination of the tartness of meyer lemon and raspberry and the subtle sweetness of a danjou pear. This jam was inspired by my Flavor Bible while looking for pairings for pears. Jams like this develop amazing flavors that will change over time. Right out of the pot the lemon and raspberry dominated while the pear was a flavor at the end. As the tartness mellows I think that the sweetness of the raspberry and pears will be amazing in a week.  Enjoy!

Lemon Pearberry Jam
2 cups pears, peeled and diced (I used Danjou pears)
1/2 cup raspberries (you can use frozen, but thaw and measure without juice)
1/2 cup diced meyer lemon (you can use 2 T. lemon zest and 2 T. bottled lemon juice)
1/4 cup water
2 cups cane sugar
4 T. Ball Flex Batch no sugar low sugar pectin (you can use any low sugar no sugar pectin)

Preparation : Prepare 3 half pint jars and 1 – ¼ pint jar, lids, and rings. Sterilize the jars and keep them in the hot water till its time for processing. 

Cooking: Combine the pear, raspberries, lemon, and water. If you do not have meyer lemons you can add 2 T. lemon zest and 2 T. bottled lemon juice.  Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring frequently,  then reduce heat.  Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes until the pears are tender and raspberries are broken down. Add sugar and simmer for another 5 minutes.

If you want a smooth texture you can now use a potato masher or immersion blender to break down the pears and meyer lemon pieces. Bring to a boil and add your pectin. Stir in pectin and continue to boil for one minute, but do not stir until the minute is complete. Turn off the heat and fill jars.

Filling the jars:  On a dishtowel place your hot jars in a semi circle leaving room for your pot that has your jam recipe.  Using your funnel in each jar ladle the mixture into the jars leaving 1/4” headspace.  Remove air bubbles and refill to the proper headspace if necessary. Taking a clean papertowel wet it with warm water and wipe the rims of the jars removing any food particles that would interfere with a good seal. Using your magic wand to extract the lids from the hot water and place them on the now cleaned rims. Add your rings to the tops of each of the jars and turn to seal just "finger tight".  

Processing: Make sure your rack is on the bottom of the canner and place the jars in the water bath making sure that the water covers each of the jars by 1 to 2 inches. Add hot water to the canner if it doesn't measure up. Cover the pot and turn up the heat under the canner and wait for the water to start boiling. Once the water has come to a boil start your timer for 10 minutes. When complete turn off the heat and remove the cover and let the jars sit for another few minutes. Remove the jars and place them back on the dishtowel in a place that they will sit overnight to cool. Do not touch or move them till the next morning.
Sealing: Some time in the next hour your jars will be making a "pinging" or "popping" noise. That is the glass cooling and the reaction of the lids being sucked into the jar for proper sealing. Some recipes may take overnight to seal. Check your lids and reprocess any jars that did not seal.