food All good jam sessions start with bourbon... (7 Pot White and Honey Bourbon Poached Pear Jam)

[Husker21]

I did an awesome 7 pot white and pear jam last Fall.  Trying to up the ante with it this year.  Instead of the canned pears I used last year I am poaching some pears in water, honey, vanilla extract(wish i had a whole bean...), cinnamon stick, clove, nutmeg, cardamom, and ginger.  Threw in a splash of Beam Honey.  Gonna let these poach all day and then jam out tomorrow.  Hoping to reduce some of these poaching liquids later tonight and pour it over some vanilla ice scream.
 

 

[grantmichaels]

I happen to have a whole vanilla bean thingy that's been in my cabinet for over a year now, so I'm watching to see how this goes, and I'll try something using it soon ...
 
Cheers!

 

[Hawaiianero]

I did an awesome 7 pot white and pear jam last Fall.  Trying to up the ante with it this year.  Instead of the canned pears I used last year I am poaching some pears in water, honey, vanilla extract(wish i had a whole bean...), cinnamon stick, clove, nutmeg, cardamom, and ginger.  Threw in a splash of Beam Honey.  Gonna let these poach all day and then jam out tomorrow.  Hoping to reduce some of these poaching liquids later tonight and pour it over some vanilla ice scream.
 

Can you please expand on the process? It looks like you have everything in a slow cooker. Are you cooking on low heat all day and then let sit overnight? Your ingredients sound amazing and I would like to give it a try myself

 

[Husker21]

I will do my best... not good at writing this stuff down.
 
I put about 1/4 cup (maybe more) of honey in a large glass measuring cup.  Added 1 cinnamon stick, 2 cardamom pods, 3 cloves, fresh grated nutmeg, a big nub of fresh ginger, 1 tablespoon vanilla extract (woulda preferred a whole vanilla bean), and 4 cups of very hot water.  I let the honey dissolve in the water.  Dumped the poaching liquid into a crock pot on high setting.  Peeled, quartered, and cored 8 ripe bartlett pears.  Tossed them in the pool.  Let it go on high until they are easily pierced with a knife.  I think mine took 3 hrs +/-.
 
Gonna let these cool in the liquid and then pop in the fridge overnight.  When I have the time tomorrow I will make the jam.  Stay tuned for pics.  

 

[geeme]

I make a poached plum dessert that poaches tart plums in Lillet, which is a hybrid wine and liquor mix, plus various spices. The Lillet can be kind of hard to find, but it's definitely worth trying. Would be interesting to try the jam made with that. Let us know how things turn out!

 

[Husker21]

I make a poached plum dessert that poaches tart plums in Lillet, which is a hybrid wine and liquor mix, plus various spices. The Lillet can be kind of hard to find, but it's definitely worth trying. Would be interesting to try the jam made with that. Let us know how things turn out!

 
I was gonna toss in some white wine but I didn't have an open bottle.  But I like the sound of a fortified wine or this Lillet of which you speak.  

 

[Husker21]

So the pears are in the fridge with half of the poaching liquid.  They will become jam tomorrow.
 
For dessert tonight I reduced the other half of the poaching liquid.  I got the liquid pretty tight but hit it with a pinch of corn starch to thicken it up a bit.  Tossed it in the fridge until ready to serve.  Really nice consistency on it and it tasted amazing.  These pears are gonna make a kick ass jam!
 

 

[Hawaiianero]

So the pears are in the fridge with half of the poaching liquid.  They will become jam tomorrow.
 
For dessert tonight I reduced the other half of the poaching liquid.  I got the liquid pretty tight but hit it with a pinch of corn starch to thicken it up a bit.  Tossed it in the fridge until ready to serve.  Really nice consistency on it and it tasted amazing.  These pears are gonna make a kick ass jam!
 

Ohhh you got me drooling big time. I don't always have access to fresh pears, will canned pears do ok?

 

[Husker21]

Canned pears will do. That is what I used last year and it was dynamite.

If you use canned, Don't poach them. Just grind the spices and add it to the jelly recipe. Maybe go lighter on the spices than I did. The ground stuff will give a much bigger pinch them poaching the whole spices in the liquid.

 

[Husker21]

Yielded 9 8oz jars of 7 Pot White and Poached Pear Jam.  Just had some on toast.  Hotter than last years version!  Only regret was that I should have diced the pears finer.  But the pears are so soft due to the poaching that I think it still works.  This stuff is gonna be used for the following; jam and brie baked in a pastry crust, over cream cheese and served with crackers, pork chops, pork tenderloin, and who knows what else.  One jar is missing.  I was selling my products at a bully breed awareness event last night.  I gave a still warm jar to the dude who coordinated an event.  He runs a kick ass cupcake shop and even won cupcake wars.  He wants to work one of my pepper jams into a cupcake.  Also at the event were the two guys who played Jason in the Friday the 13 movies!  Fun night!
 
Ingredients
 
5 cups canned pears or poached fresh pears diced (see recipe above with poaching ingredients and instructions)
15 7 pot white (I was in a rush, seeded the pods and threw them in my ninja pro, the result was a 7 pot white smootie   )
7.5 tbs Ball Real Fruit Pectin
6.6 cups sugar
 
Add pears, peppers and pectin to pot.  Bring it to a steady bubble that can't be stirred down.  I don't have a time on this, I just to it by feel.  Add sugar.  Stir until sugar dissolves.  Once it returns to a steady boil let it go for 1 minute stirring occasionally.  I sterilized my jars ahead of time in the oven (250 degrees for 20 mins).  Once again, I was in a rush so I skipped the hot water bath.  I filled the jars, put the lids on and then inverted for 3 minutes.  After 3 minutes I flipped them back over and wait for the "ting" sound.  All 9 jars achieved their vacuum.  Since I didn't do the hot water bath I am opting to keep these in the reefer for safe keeping.
 

 

[geeme]

Very nice!