Vanilla or Cinnamon Pears in Light Syrup

This is a repost from 201

On the stove last night I found that I had a bunch of Pears that I needed to get into jars before they went bad. They were still crisp and had made it easy for me to peel. This recipe keeps staring at me when I open my Ball books so I add the cinnamon and vanilla to give them some additional flavor.

Vanilla or Cinnamon Pears in Light Syrup

5 lbs Bartlett Pears, peeled and sliced

2 T. lemon juice

2 cups water

2 Vanilla Beans (cut and split into 4 pieces)

2 Cinnamon sticks (break into 4 pieces)

2 cups sugar

4 cups water

Cinnamon & Vanilla Pears in Light syrup

In a large bowl put in 2 cups of water and the lemon juice. As you are slicing your pears put them into the water to prevent the pears from turning brown. You can also buy the citrus acid from Ball but I prefer to save the money on other things. 

Prepare and sterilize 8 pint size jars. This recipe works better with wide mouth jars, but I used what I had in my pantry. In a dutch oven or stainless steel pot combine the sugar and 4 cups of water. Cook on high and continue to stir until the sugar is dissolved. Turn down to low and pack your hot jars with the pears. The easiest way is the tilt the jar using an oven mit and pack them in sideways. Try to maximize the space in the jar. To each jar add either a vanilla bean or cinnamon stick. 

Using a jar funnel and ladle fill the jars with the light syrup. Make sure to use your rubber spatula then to remove any air from the jar and ladle additional syrup to fill to 1/2" headspace. Clean the rims with a wet paper towel or cloth and put on sterilize lids and rings. Process in a water bath for 15 minutes at a full boil.