A simple sugar-free easy homemade pearsauce recipe. Pearsauce is like applesauce, but made with pears. This recipe for pearsauce is flavored with cinnamon, cardamom, and nutmeg. You should definitely try making this Easy Homemade Pearsauce this fall. It is so tasty!
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When pears were on mega sale here a few weeks ago I was able to can a half a dozen jars of Vanilla Spiced Pear Butter.
I also made some Pearsauce for us, though I didn’t can it. I only made enough for us to enjoy for a couple of days.
WHY I LOVE HOMEMADE PEARSAUCE
As far as I can remember, I’ve never really been a big fan of applesauce – unless it was homemade, and even then I’m not likely to sit down to a bowl full for a snack.
Madeline, on the other hand, absolutely loves her applesauce. Store bought or homemade she doesn’t care. Either way is good to her.
But Pearsauce….mmmmm Pearsauce! Now that’s something that we both can agree on.
I don’t know why but this recipe for Homemade Pearsauce just seems so much more sophisticated than applesauce to me. The flavor and texture are more to my liking. Even the name sounds fancier than applesauce.
Next time pears are so cheap they’re practically free, I think I’m going to venture into canning some of this Homemade Pearsauce so we can have it on hand year round.
It’s that good! Have you ever canned homemade pear sauce before?
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WHAT TYPE OF PEARS SHOULD I USE FOR PEARSAUCE
You can use a variety of different pears depending on your liking, what is available, and what has the best price.
Often I use bartlett pears because those are what usually go on sale for really inexpensive, but I’ve also used D’Anjou, Bosc, and Red D’Anjou. You can use a mixture of different pears or all the same variety.
The main thing that matters is that the pears are ripe. Ripe pears will be slightly soft to the touch and smell sweet and fragrant.
I do not recommend using Asian Pears for this recipe.
How Long Does Pearsauce Last?
This pearsauce will last for about 3-4 days in the refrigerator.
If you make a large batch of pearsauce, you can also opt to store it in the freezer if you would like. Just take out what you need as you want to use it (or gift it). Just make sure to use a freezer-safe container.
Plastic canning jars work great, but some glass canning jars are labeled as freezer-safe as well.
Can I Preserve this Pearsauce
Yes, you can! I’ve included instructions for how to water bath can pearsauce in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post!
You can also pressure can this pearsauce recipe as long as you have the correct tools and consult reputable sources for the instructions.
Some tools you might need if you would like to pressure can pearsauce are: Pressure Cooker Canner, The Complete Guide to Pressure Canning, and of course – canning jars.
INGREDIENT SUBSTITUTIONS FOR PEARSAUCE
It is not recommend to make substitutions in recipes that you plan to water bath can unless it is adjusting the amount of seasoning. Altering the amount of pears, or the acidity (by omitting or substituting the lemon juice) would affect the ability to water bath can this pearsauce.
Always consult canning experts and reputable sources before deviating from the recipe when water bath canning.
If you are eating the pearsauce within a 3-5 days, or plan to store it in the freezer, you can make any substitutions that you would like when preparing this recipe for pearsauce.
TIPS FOR MAKING PEARSAUCE
Make sure your spices are fresh so they have the best flavor! I also recommend using fresh lemon juice rather than the jarred type because the flavor will be higher quality.
You can always play around with the amounts of cinnamon, nutmeg, and cardamom depending on your personal preferences.
If you want to sweeten your batch of pearsauce, I recommend adding brown sugar in 1 teaspoon increments until your desired flavor is reached.
THE JAR LID WON’T OPEN
If you canned your pearsauce and then can’t get the jar open afterwards, head over to my post about How to Open a Jar for 5 proven ways to open jars with tight lids.
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Fun Ways to enjoy homemade pearsauce
One of the best parts of making homemade pearsauce is all the different things that you can do with it besides just eating a bowl of it by itself. This recipe for pearsauce is pretty darn good on its own, but here are a few fun serving suggestions:
Make these cute Bite Sized Cranberry Walnut Tarts, but substitute the easy homemade pearsauce for the cranberry sauce.
Stir some of this pearsauce into Maple Syrup to make pear flavored maple syrup. It will be so good poured over pancakes and waffles for a post-Thanksgiving brunch.
Top a bowl of Overnight Apple Steel Cut Oats with a dollop or two.
Pearsauce is nice for snacking on alone, but is makes a great addition to plain yogurt for some extra flavor. Stir it into plain yogurt for a tangy, sweet flavor. Then, sprinkle granola and dried cranberries or fresh chopped pears on top.
Next time you’re craving a bowl of oatmeal for breakfast try stirring in a few spoonfuls of this delicious Pearsauce.
Try substituting pearsauce for applesauce in baking recipes for a slightly different flavor, or use it as an oil substitute in baking.
Add it to Leftover Turkey Sandwiches after Thanksgiving for a little sweet and savory combo. Leftover turkey sandwiches are one of my favorites!
Spread it on a piece of toast or a toasted English Muffin with plenty of butter.
Use Pearsauce to make this Vanilla Spiced Pear Butter (pearsauce is the first step in that recipe – make an extra big batch and get both recipes out of it!).
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Homemade Pearsauce
You should definitely try making this Easy Homemade Pearsauce or Applesauce this fall. It is so tasty!
Ingredients
- 3 1/2 lbs. pears, peeled, cored, and coarsely chopped
- 1/4 cup water
- juice of 1/2 lemon
- 1/2 - 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon cardamom
- 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
Instructions
To Make the Pearsauce
- In a large saucepan, combine the pears, water, lemon juice, cinnamon, cardamom, and nutmeg.
- Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
- Reduce heat and boil gently, occasionally stirring, for 20 minutes.
- Transfer mixture to a food processor, working in batches if necessary, fitted with a metal blade and puree just until a uniform texture is achieved.
- Do not liquefy.
- Transfer to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Alternatively, freeze in one cup quantities in the freezer and store for several months.
How to Can Pearsauce
- Wash and rinse the jars in hot soapy water. Drain the jars well of any excess water. Set the screw bands aside - they don't require sterilizing. Place the lids - the flat round portion of the two-piece closures - in a small saucepan, cover with water and bring to a simmer. Don't boil. Keep lids hot until you're ready to use them.
- Ladle hot pearsauce into hot jars, leaving 1/4 inch head-space. Remove air bubbles and adjust head-space, if needed, but adding more pearsauce. Wipe rim. Center the lid on jar and screw band down until resistance is med, then increase to fingertip tight.
- Place jars in canner, ensuring they are completely covered with water. Bring to a boil and process for 10 minutes. Remove canner lid. Wait 5 minutes, then remove jars, cool and store.
Notes
RECIPE TIPS
- I highly recommend using freshly squeezed lemon in this pearsauce recipe. Fresh juice will give you the best flavor!
- Do not omit the lemon juice if you intend to water bath can this recipe. The recipe needs acidity to be safely water bath canned.
- You don't need to chop the pears too finely since they'll be cooked down on the stove anyways. But you do need to peel them, otherwise your pearsauce will be the wrong consistency.
- Feel free to play around with the amount of cinnamon, nutmeg, and cardamom in this recipe. I like it as written, but you can add more or less to suit your tastes. Changing these ingredients would not affect the ability to can this recipe.
INGREDIENT SUBSTITUTIONS FOR PEARSAUCE
I don't recommend making any substitutions for this recipe if you plan to water bath can this recipe for pearsauce unless it is adjusting the amount of seasoning. Altering the sugar content, the amount of pears, or the acidity (by omitting or substituting the orange juice) would affect the ability to water bath can the recipe.
If you are eating this within a week, or storing it in the freezer, you can make any substitutions that you would like.
PRESSURE CANNING
You can pressure can anything that you can water bath can. Make sure you have the right tools and that you consult reputable sources for pear butter pressure canning instructions, as I personally am not an expert at pressure canning.
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Nutrition Information
Yield 8 Serving Size 1/2 cupAmount Per Serving Calories 132Total Fat 0gSaturated Fat 0gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 0gCholesterol 0mgSodium 21mgCarbohydrates 35gFiber 7gSugar 23gProtein 1g
GoodLifeEats.com offers recipe nutritional information as a courtesy and is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators. Although GoodLifeEats.com makes every effort to provide accurate information, these figures are only estimates.
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Let me know if you try this recipe for easy homemade pearsauce and what you think of it by leaving a comment below.
Bela
Sunday 24th of September 2023
I have a Bosc pear tree and it's overloaded this year so I'm collecting pear recipes. The first time I made this, it was a bit tart. Could be my pears weren't as ripe as they should've been which was maybe why I had to simmer 30 minutes instead of 20. I made it again today and added 2 tablespoons of white sugar (before I read your note which suggests brown sugar) and also added a teaspoon of almond extract. It came out a tiny bit sweeter than I thought it would, but this time my pears were more ripe. Ok so next time I'll try just one tablespoon brown sugar!
It's not only tasty, but pretty too! Thanks for a delicious recipe!
Katie
Monday 25th of September 2023
Thanks for sharing your experience! How lucky to have a pear tree - I am envious!
carol
Thursday 25th of September 2014
Just canned a batch - used cranberry juice instead of water and mashed with an immersion blender. Delicious.
Kasey
Friday 9th of August 2013
I replaced the 1/4 cup of water with 1/4 of maraschino cherry juice and threw in about 10 cherries along with the pears. Yummy, cherry-pear sauce!
andrea
Saturday 27th of July 2013
Hi. I want to make this asap but I don't have a scale. Do you know about how many pears you used? thanks
Katie
Saturday 27th of July 2013
Sorry I do not know how many pears it was. Maybe you can borrow a scale from someone?
Erin @ Texanerin Baking
Saturday 3rd of November 2012
I'm obsessed with homemade applesauce at the moment! My new favorite is raspberry applesauce. I seriously eat it for every meal. So yummy! And pear?! That sounds interesting and like you said, more sophisticated. :)