3poundsripe thin-skinned pears (Bartlett, Bosc, or Anjou)1360 g
1½cupsgranulated sugar300 g
4Tbspbottled lemon juice
2Tbspunsweetened natural cocoa powder
Instructions
Cut the cores from the pears, but do not peel them, as you chose pears with thin skins. Chop them into small dice. Put in a non-reactive saucepan – my favorite is a 4-quart wide pot – and add sugar and lemon juice, Stir well to combine and set aside.
Prepare your waterbath or steam canner. Have jars clean and hot. Have lids and bands ready to use.
Put the pot of pears over medium-high heat, and bring the fruit to a boil, stirring regularly. Cook it until it bubbles and looks thick, which will take 10 minutes or so. When the pears become translucent and tender, remove the pot from the heat. Whiz the pears with an immersion (stick) blender, until it is smooth and free of lumps. Return the pot to the heat.
Cook until the pear butter is the thickness you prefer. I like to dab a spoonful on a chilled saucer and let it rest a minute or two. If I can drag my finger through the blob, and the edges don’t fill in the clean streak, I call it done. Also see the wrinkle test.
When the jam is at the stage you like, remove it from the heat. Stir in the cocoa powder, and keep stirring until it is fully absorbed and well distributed throughout.
Ladle the chocolate pear butter into prepared jars, leaving ½ inch (12mm) headspace. Wipe rims, and apply lids and bands. Anything that won’t fit in your jars can go into a clean custard cup – chill it in the fridge, and call it the cook’s treat.Process the jars for 10 minutes.