Tomatoes are one of the most popular vegetables in the whole wide world, not only among gourmets but also among us gardeners. And there are so many varieties out there: from teeny-tiny, pinhead-sized beads to enormous, almost melon-like specimens, in colours ranging from the classic red to orange, yellow, white, green and even black. There’s a tomato for everyone’s heart. There are so many varieties, I’d either need a much larger garden or at least three lives to try them all. When I’ve found a variety I love, however, I want to grow it every year. But why invest in seeds for tomatoes you’ve already successfully cultivated, when you can save them from your own fruits? It’s easier than you think, and it’s so satisfying to be part of the cycle of seed, becoming fruit, becoming seed again. I’ll show you which tomatoes you can harvest seeds from, what to look out for and how to make sure that they germinate well next season.
Why save tomato seeds?
Apart from the magic and fun, there are many more reasons to save your tomato seeds:
Cost
One seed package with 6 – 8 tomato seeds costs around 3 €. Now, I don’t know about you, but I’m not known for cultivating only one variety. More like 10 – 15. That would be 30 – 45 € just for tomato seeds every single year! Ehm…. no. Especially not, when I can get hundreds of seeds for free.
Adaptation
Plants adapt to their growing conditions. So, no matter what your garden’s conditions are, your tomatoes will, within one life cycle (!), adapt to them. Seeds from the plants in our garden, therefore, are better adjusted to your microclimate than any store-bought seeds ever will be.
Moreover, plants become increasingly resilient over generations. When you save seeds from your healthy tomato plants, you contribute to their future health.
Variety Preservation
Many heirloom tomatoes are bordering on extinction, and there are also quite a few rare or hard-to-find varieties. By saving their seeds, you take an active part in preserving those precious tomatoes and making sure that generations to come will still be able to cultivate and taste them.
Understanding Tomato Varieties for Seed Saving
Now, do we just go out and save tomato seeds? Not quite! First, you must understand that not all tomato varieties can be propagated by saving their seeds.
Open-pollinated tomatoes
Tomato blossoms have male and female parts. The male parts (anthers) contain the pollen, while the female parts (pistils) receive it and produce fruits and with them seeds. That way, tomatoes can be self-pollinating, seeing that male and female parts are so closely together, but they often get help in pollination from insects.
“Open-pollinated” means that those tomatoes are pollinated naturally, either by self-pollination or with the help of insects.
The cool thing about that is that open-pollinated tomatoes always produce the same kind of tomato (e.g. an ‘Indigo Rose’ plant produces only ‘Indigo Rose’ tomatoes) and all seeds harvested from an open-pollinated tomato will produce exactly the same variety next season. They breed “true to type”.
Which is great for us seed-collectors as we only have to, well, collect their seeds to make sure we can cultivate the same variety next year.
Heirloom tomatoes
We speak of heirloom tomatoes when the variety has been cultivated for at least 50 years or was commercially introduced before 1940.
All heirloom tomatoes are open-pollinated, but not all open-pollinated tomatoes are heirlooms.
Hybrid tomatoes
Hybrid tomatoes are a cross between different varieties. They have been created to enhance characteristics we want, like flavour, size, pest and disease resistance, colour and longevity. Unlike open-pollinated tomatoes, hybrids don’t produce seeds true to type; instead, they revert to their parents’ genes, either recreating one of them or creating a tomato with different characteristics. Hybrid tomatoes, therefore, are not suitable for seed-saving.
When you look at your seed package and F1 is printed behind the name, it’s a hybrid.
Open-pollinated vs cross-pollinated
Cross-pollination means that pollen from one variety has pollinated the blossom of another variety. It doesn’t alter the fruits, but the seeds are no longer true to type. In fact, cross-pollination creates hybrids and, as we’ve learned, hybrids are not suitable for seed-harvesting.
To avoid cross-pollination in our gardens, we should plant different varieties at a distance of about 3 m (10 feet) from each other. Another good method for guaranteeing that our varieties stay true type is to cover them with a finely-meshed cloth once they show buds. When the buds have opened, carefully shake the plant so that the pollen can reach its destination.
A good method to help pollination is to use an old electric toothbrush that you brush across the blossoms. The vibration of the toothbrush loosens the pollen from one blossom and lets it fall readily onto the next one, thus fertilising it.
When tomatoes form, you can remove the cloth.
The crucial step: Fermentation
Saving tomato seeds is easy, but it comes with a little catch: to make sure that the seeds germinate well next year and do not carry any diseases, we must ferment them.
Tomato seeds are enclosed in gel casings. These casings contain growth inhibitors that keep the seeds from starting to sprout inside the tomato. Fermentation breaks up the gel casings and removes the growth inhibitor. If we used the seeds without fermenting them, the gel casings and with them the growth inhibitors would still be intact and prevent most of the seeds from growing.
In our garden, when tomatoes fall to the ground, they decay and by that break up the gel casings. Fermentation copies that process.
By fermenting the seeds, we also make sure to kill any seed-borne pathogens and only cultivate inherently healthy plants.
How to save tomato seeds
Step 1: Choose the right fruits
Choose tomatoes that are ripe and healthy and show all the signs you like in a variety, that is, the appropriate (or even larger) size and flavour.
You can use overripe tomatoes, but make sure they aren’t damaged.
Always use tomatoes from more than one plant to maintain the genetic diversity. Also, if one tomato plant turns out to have a disease, e.g. the blight, you’ll still have healthy seeds from another plant.
It’s best to use tomatoes from mid to late season as they have adapted better to your specific garden conditions and climate.
Step 2: Get the seeds
Wash them and cut them open around the middle.
With a finger or a spoon, scrape out the seeds and the jelly they’re in into a jar. Use the now seedless tomatoes for a salad or pasta sauce, or whatever you like to do with them.
Step 3: Water
Add water to the jar so that the seeds and the pulp can be stirred. I usually add about two fingers of water. Cover the mixture with a cloth; it needs air circulation.
Step 4: Labelling
Never trust your memory, but label the jar with the tomato variety you’ve got in there. You’ll thank yourself later.
Step 5: Fermentation
Put the jar in a warm place. I usually put it on the windowsill, but you should make sure that the temperature doesn’t change too much. Avoid any drafts. Temperatures between 20 and 25 °C (70 – 80 °F) are ideal for fermentation. If it’s colder, fermentation will still work, but it’ll take longer.
Stir your seeds every day. Usually after 3 – 5 days (depending on the temperature), they’ll sink to the ground. A little time later, an opaque film will form on the surface and – I’m sorry to say – the mixture will start to stink abominably. Take that into consideration when looking for a fermentation place. The kitchen may not be the best option.
The good news is: all these signs show that fermentation has started!
Step 6: Rinse
The good news is that once fermentation has started, you can remove the seeds from the jars. Pour them into a sieve and rinse them thoroughly. Take this process seriously. Rinsing not only removes the pulp and the now dissolved gel casings around the seeds, but it also stops the fermentation process.
Put the seeds back in the jar and fill it with water. Any seeds that float on the surface after this final rinse are bad and can be discarded.
Step 7: Dry the seeds
Rinse the rest again and put them on a tissue paper to dry. I either use the scrap of a kitchen towel or half a paper tissue, but you can also use waxed paper, parchment paper, coffee filters or a mesh screen over a plate. Remember to label whatever your seeds dry on. Stir the seeds so that they don’t clump.
Put the seeds in a warm place, away from direct sunlight. A good place in my house is the top of the fridge. Make sure temperatures are not too high, or else the seeds will sprout.
After one to two weeks, depending on your drying medium, the seeds will have dried.
Step 8: Storage
To check if your seeds are completely dry, try to break them. A dry seed breaks in half with a snap, while a still moist seed will bend or rip. Once the seeds are completely dry, you can store them in paper envelopes, brown glass jars or plastic bags. Make sure the seeds are really 100 % dry, especially when stored in plastic or glass containers. Otherwise, the moisture will make them mould and rot.
Remember to label the seed packages with the variety and harvest date.
Store the seeds in a cool, dry place. They are usually good for 4 – 6 years.
Final thoughts
As you can see, saving tomato seeds is easier than it sounds, and it’s so rewarding. One year from now, you’ll be making a tomato salad from fruits that only exist because of your seed-saving efforts. And imagine the satisfaction of telling your friends and family that the tomato salad they’re eating right now is not only from your garden but also grown from seeds you saved yourself! Admiring looks included.
Start now, choose some tomatoes you like, even if it’s only one variety, and save their seeds. You’ll be proud of yourself!
Wanna learn more about tomatoes? This article is for you then:
Every autumn, there comes a time when my kitchen fills with the sharp, tangy scent of fermenting cabbage. Even though it may still be warm and sunny outside, for me, the season for winter comfort food has officially begun. Call it genetic programming if you like. I don’t consider myself to be a typical German. I usually wear jeans and a shirt (I don’t even own a Dirndl), I’ve never been to the Oktoberfest, and I’ve got a fair sense of humour, if I may say so myself. When it comes to Sauerkraut, however, my German DNA takes over completely.
Whether I’m piling it alongside creamy mashed potatoes for the ultimate comfort meal, tucking it into a flaky strudel, or serving it as an elegant wine-braised side dish (yes, with sausages – some clichés exist for good reasons!), there’s simply no surviving a German winter without proper sauerkraut. And after years of mediocre store-bought versions, I discovered something wonderful: making your own is ridiculously simple.
You only need cabbage, salt, and a little patience to create sauerkraut that’s tangier, crunchier, and infinitely more satisfying than anything from a jar. Plus, there’s nothing more gratifying than watching this ancient preservation method work its magic right on your countertop. Ready to channel your inner German Oma and work some cabbage magic? Here’s everything you need to know.
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Once you see how simple it is to make sauerkraut and how little you need for it, you’re gonna ask yourself why you haven’t done that long before.
Equipment
I promise you’ll already have every equipment item in your kitchen!
Essential equipment for beginners
You need a wooden board and a sharp knife to slice the cabbage.
Once you’ve done so, you need a large bowl to put the cabbage slices in and mix them with salt.
For the fermentation process, take some jars with lids. Twist-off caps are fine, but even better are jars with rubber rings and a glass lid.
To keep all the kraut slices under the brine, you need weights. If you’re just starting, you can fill freezer bags with water (about a quarter full, depending on the bag size), close them and use them as weights.
Optional but helpful tools
If you intend to make large batches of sauerkraut, you may want to think about buying a kraut slicer, which is a real game-changer when it comes to slicing cabbage heads.
Another great gadget for making sauerkraut is a kraut tamper, kind of a wooden club on a long stick. Optionally, you can use a (clean) bottle. You’ll find kraut slicers and tampers in every well-assorted German hardware store (which I highly recommend visiting when you are in Germany!) or on the internet.
For the fermentation process, you can use the aforementioned jars or a large sauerkraut pot.
Sauerkraut pots usually come with two halves of a clay weight; for jars, there are good glass weights you can buy.
Ingredients
For the classic version of homemade sauerkraut, you only need cabbage and salt. Make sure the salt doesn’t contain any additives like anti-caking agents, iodine or others. I like to use sea or rock salt.
Instructions For Homemade Sauerkraut
First of all, sterilise the sauerkraut pot or the jars and lids. You can read up here on how to do that properly.
Preparing the cabbage
Cut the cabbage head lengthwise in half and quarter it. Remove the outer leaves and put them to the side; we’ll need them later.
Now you can generously cut off the stalk part, which is too hard (and bland) to make sauerkraut from.
Weigh the cabbage.
Finely slice the cabbage quarters, either with a knife, in the food processor or with your kraut slicer.
Put the cabbage slices in a large bowl.
Kneading and Packing
Now, add salt to the cabbage, about 1 tablespoon of salt per 1.5 kilograms of cabbage.
Roughly mix the salt into the slices and taste them. It should be salty but not oversalted.
Now, start kneading the cabbage slices thoroughly to break open the cell structure of the cabbage slices and knead the salt in. This takes some time; the larger the amount of cabbage, the longer. The slices will lose volume during this process, they’ll lose their usually opaque appearance and become glassy, and brine will form. If you can’t for the life of you squeeze out enough liquid from the cabbage – after a fair amount of wrestling with it, of course – cover the bowl, let it rest for 45 minutes and knead it again.
Put a handful of the cabbage into the kraut pot or a jar and press it thoroughly down with your fists, a clean bottle or the kraut tamper.
It’s important to apply sufficient pressure to get all the air bubbles out. Fermentation only works without oxygen, so if there’s air in the jars, the kraut will spoil. While pressing, you can see the brine welling up.
Alternately, add cabbage and press it in with the bottle or tamper until the pot or jar is full. Leave room to the edge of about 2 cm (1 inch). I know that some people recommend leaving more room in the jars, but I found that the risk of spoilage due to too much residual oxygen in the glass, even after fermentation, is higher.
Now, take one of the outer cabbage leaves you put aside earlier, rinse it and cut it so that it can cover the cabbage in the jar.
Put a weight on top and thus fix the cabbage slices under the brine.
The Fermentation Process
Close the pot or jars with their lids and put them on a baking tray.
Put the jars in a place without direct sunlight and at temperatures between 15 and 22°C (60 – 70 °F). After a few days, the brine begins to bubble and foam, and it usually presses out of the jars. Now’s the time when you’re glad you put the jars on a baking tray.
Let the cabbage ferment for about 5 – 7 days (the colder the place, the longer the fermentation process takes, which can be up to 14 days). Check the jars daily and fill up with brine if necessary. For that purpose, mix 1/2 l of water with 15 g of salt and stir it until the salt has dissolved.
Storage
You can either taste the sauerkraut and – when it’s to your liking – store it in a cooler place of about 8 – 12 °C (45 – 55 °F) or you wait until the initial process of bubbling over is finished and put it in a cooler place then.
Closed jars can be stored at a cool and dark (but not necessarily pitch black) place for up to one year.
Once you’ve opened a jar, keep it in the fridge and consume the sauerkraut within 1 – 2 weeks.
Angela Braun
Traditional Sauerkraut
A simple, down-to-earth recipe for traditional sauerkraut.
1tbspsea saltwithout additives or anticaking agents
Equipment
Cutting board
Sharp knife or a food processor or kraut slicer
large bowl
Kraut tamper or a clean bottle or just your fist
Jars with lids or
Sauerkraut pot
Weights
Method
Sterilize the sauerkraut pot or the jars and lids. You can read up here, how to do that properly.
Cut the cabbage head lengthwise in half and quarter it. Remove the outer leaves and put them to the side; we'll need them later.
Now you can generously cut off the stalk part, which is too hard (and bland) to make sauerkraut from. Weigh the cabbage.
Finely slice the cabbage quarters, either with a knife, in the food processor or with your kraut slicer.
Put the cabbage slices in a large bowl.
Now, add salt to the cabbage, roughly 1 tablespoon of salt per 1.5 kilograms of cabbage.
Roughly mix the salt into the slices and taste them. It should be salty but not oversalted.
Start kneading the cabbage slices thoroughly to break open the cell structure and knead the salt in. This takes some time; the larger the amount of cabbage, the longer. The slices will lose volume during this process, lose their usually opaque appearance and become glassy, and brine will form. If you can't for the life of you squeeze out enough liquid from the cabbage - after a fair amount of wrestling with it, of course - cover the bowl, let it rest for 45 minutes and knead it again.
Put a handful of the cabbage into the kraut pot or a jar and press it thoroughly down with your fists, a clean bottle or the kraut tamper. It's important to apply sufficient pressure to get all the air bubbles out. Fermentation only works without oxygen, so if there's air in the jars, the kraut will spoil. While pressing you can see the brine welling up.
Alternately add cabbage and press it in with the bottle or tamper until the pot or jar is full. Leave room to the edge of about 2 cm (1 inch). I know that some people recommend leaving more room in the jars but I found that the risk of spoilage due to too much residual oxygen in the glass, even after fermentation, is higher.
Now, take one of the outer cabbage leaves you put aside earlier, rinse it and cut it so that it can cover the cabbage in the jar. Put a weight on top and thus fix the cabbage slices under the brine.
Close the jar with a lid but don't screw it too tightly. When the fermentation process starts, it's likely the brine bubbles out of the jar and that works best when the lid is still a bit loose.
Put the jars in a place without direct sunlight and at temperatures between 15 and 22°C (60 - 70 °F). After a few days, the brine begins to bubble and foam, and it usually presses out of the jars. Now's the time when you're glad you put the jars on a baking tray.
Let the cabbage ferment for about 5 - 7 days (the colder the place, the longer the fermentation process takes, which can be up to 14 days). Check the jars daily and fill up with brine if necessary.
You can either taste the kraut and - when it's to your liking - store it in a cooler place of about 8 - 12 °C (45 - 55 °F) or you wait until the initial process of bubbling over is finished and put it in a cooler place then.
Notes
Closed jars can be stored in a cool, dark (but not necessarily pitch-black) place for up to one year.Once you've opened a jar, put it in the fridge and consume it within 1 - 2 weeks.
I could imagine that you feel a bit amazed now that you see how easy it is to make sauerkraut at home, right? Just like a conjurer revealing his tricks, I hope I’ve shown you that there’s actually not much to it – it really is this simple: Slice some cabbage, mix it with salt, knead it until liquid starts coming out, fill it into jars and let nature do the rest. So, what are you waiting for? Grab your cabbage heads and some jars and start making sauerkraut. Your inner Oma will dance with joy.
Already hooked on fermenting? Then these recipes are for you!
Although it’s still August – well, the end of August to be exact – we can already see the first signs of autumn around here: early morning mists, slightly shorter days and the first pears that are ready to be harvested! A few days ago, my dear colleague Bernadette came round and brought two buckets full of pears. Some of them were picked and unblemished -they will last a bit. But the others have fallen from the tree and have bruises. Those had to be processed as soon as possible. I chose to make jam from them, and although I love the classic pear jam, I didn’t want to make a large batch of just that one type. So, I got creative and paired the pears with different ingredients for warm and spicy as well as fresh and bright variations. They all turned out great!
But I don’t want to keep these heavenly recipes all to myself😊. Here are my pear jam variations:
Pear Jam with Spices
This recipe makes for a wonderfully soft and velvety pear jam. The combination of vanilla, ginger and cardamom adds a warm, yet zesty flavour. A great spread for an autumn breakfast.
1sachetpectinonly if you use normal sugar; leave out if you use jam sugar
2lemons
1/2vanilla pod
1/4tspground cardamom
1/2tspdried ground ginger
Method
Prepare your jars by washing them and the lids with hot water and let them cool on a towel or drying rack.
Wash the pears, peel them and cut them into quarters. Then weigh them.
Cut the pear quarters lengthwise into 2 - 3 slices and chop them finely.
Put the chopped pears in a pot, mix them with sugar and add the cardamom and ginger.
Slice open the vanilla pod and scrape the seeds out. Put the seeds as well as the pod into the pot with the pears.
Squeeze the lemons.
Mix the pears with the sugar, lemon juice and spices and let it all rest for at least 3 hours (you can also let it rest overnight). During that time, juice will form.
Heat the mixture while constantly stirring to prevent it from burning.
When the pears have come to a rolling boil, let it all cook rapidly for 4 minutes.
Pour the jam in jars and immediately close the lids tightly.
Once it's cool, the jam is ready for consumption.
Notes
This is a recipe for a soft pear jam with warm spices and can be stored for up to one year.
Pear Jam with Rosemary
If you like tarte flambée with goat cheese, pears and rosemary, you’ll love this recipe! The combination with pears and rosemary works wonderfully and doesn’t taste too “herbally”. It has a flavour that brings back summer, and as with the tarte flambée, pear jam with rosemary is a great addition to a cheese board.
Angela Braun
Pear Jam with Rosemary
A fresh pear jam variation that brings back summer with the unique rosemary pairing.
1sachetpectinonly if you use normal sugar; leave out if you use jam sugar
2lemons
3 tbspfinely cut rosemary
Method
Prepare your jars by washing them and the lids with hot water, let them cool on a towel or drying rack.
Wash the pears, peel and core them and cut them into quarters. Then weigh them.
Cut he pear quarters lengthwise into 2 - 3 slices and chop them finely.
Squeeze the lemons.
Finely chop the rosemary.
Put the chopped pears in a pot, mix them with sugar, lemon juice and rosemary and let the mixture rest for at least 3 hours (you can also let it rest overnight).
After resting, heat the mixture up and stir constantly to prevent it from burning.
When it all boils, let it cook rapidly for 4 minutes.
Pour the jam in jars and immediately close the lids tightly.
Pear Jam with Riesling
With this pear jam variation, you’ll certainly impress everyone! Pears go very well with white wine, which adds a subtle fruitiness and depth. For this recipe, I’ve chosen a dry Riesling. You can, of course, use any other white wine as long as it’s dry. It will alter the taste, though.
A word of warning: This is not for children! Part of the alcohol in this recipe will evaporate during cooking, but maybe not all.
Angela Braun
Pear Jam with Riesling
The Riesling adds a subtle fruitiness and depth to this pear jam.
1sachetpectinonly if you use normal sugar; if you use jam sugar leave the pectin off
Method
Prepare your jars by washing them and the lids with hot water and let them cool on a towel or drying rack.
Wash the pears, peel and core them and cut them into quarters. Then weigh them.
Cut the pear quarters lengthwise into 2 - 3 slices and chop them finely.
Put the chopped pears in a pot, mix them with the sugar, pectin (if needed) and the Riesling.
Mix it all and let it rest for at least 3 hours (you can also let it rest overnight).
Heat the mixture up while constantly stirring to prevent it from burning.
When the mixture has come to a rolling boil, set your timer and let it all cook rapidly for 4 minutes.
Pour the jam in jars and immediately close the lids tightly.
Once it's cool, the jam is ready for consumption.
Notes
This is not a recipe for children! Part of the alcohol in this recipe will evaporate during cooking, but maybe not all.
Pear-Blueberry Jam with Cinnamon
Now this pear jam variation is definitely (but not only) for children! If you had to keep your offspring away from the Riesling jam, offer them this pear-blueberry jam with cinnamon instead. They’ll love it. And with the (late) summer blueberries, the autumn pears and wintery cinnamon, we combine three seasons in one jar.
Angela Braun
Pear-Blueberry Jam with Cinnamon
Three seasons in a jar that will not only delight children!
1 sachetpectinonly if you use normal sugar; if you use jam sugar, leave the pectin off
1tbspground cinnamon
2lemons
Method
Prepare the jars by washing them and the lids with hot water and let them cool on a towel or drying rack.
Wash the pears, peel and core them, and cut them into quarters. Then weigh them.
Cut the pear quarters lengthwise into 2 - 3 slices and chop them finely.
Wash the blueberries.
Squeeze out the lemons.
Put the chopped pears and the blueberries in a pot and mix them with the sugar, pectin (if needed), lemon juice and cinnamon.
Let it all rest for at least 3 hours (you can also let it rest overnight).
Heat the mixture up and stir it all constantly to prevent it from burning.
When the fruits have come to a rolling boil, let it all cook rapidly for 4 minutes.
Pour the jam in jars and immediately close the lids tightly.
Once it's cool, the jam is ready for consumption.
Notes
This is not only a great addition to your breakfast table but also makes a good spread for a quick Victoria sponge roll.
All of the above recipes make 6 jars à 1/4 l and are shelf-stable for up to 1 year. If your family is anything like mine, however, none of these pear jam variations will last that long 😄.
When the first pears are ready to be harvested, we know autumn has arrived – no matter how warm the weather still feels. The first pears are ready for picking in August, while late-season varieties can hang on the tree until the end of October. But here’s the dilemma: you can only eat so many fresh pears before they start to turn. That’s where the magic of pear jam comes in.
Unlike juicy berries, pears are comparatively dry fruits, which means making thick, spreadable jam requires a few key techniques. Today, I’ll walk you through my step-by-step method for creating a wonderfully velvety, sweet pear jam that captures all the golden abundance of autumn.
Choosing your pears
Varieties
You can use virtually any pear variety, except the small, sour cider pears. Excellent choices in my area include Williams Christ, Clapp’s Liebling, Gellert’s Butterbirne and Conférence. With over 1500 pear varieties worldwide, use whatever grows well in your area.
Ripeness is crucial
Test ripeness by gently pressing the fruit with your fingers. If the pear is rock hard, it needs more time on the tree to develop its full flavour. When the flesh feels soft to the touch, the pear is ready for jam-making. Process harvested pears within a few days – they quickly transition from perfect to overripe.
Essential Equipment and Ingredients
Equipment You’ll Need
To make pear jam, you will need a sharp knife and a cutting board to peel and chop the pears.
For “storing” them between quartering and chopping, you need a large bowl.
Then you need a heavy-bottomed pot for cooking the jam and a wooden spoon for stirring it to prevent it from burning.
Lastly, of course, you need suitable jam jars with lids. I prefer jars of 250 ml (0.4 pt / 9 oz), because they’re large enough to be practical, yet small enough to finish the jam before it spoils. You can choose smaller or larger jars, just as it suits you. I just wouldn’t recommend jars of more than 400 ml (0.7 pt / 14 oz).
Ingredients
Pears
Obviously, we need pears 😊! For 6 jars of 250 ml, we need 1 kg (2.2 lbs) of pears, net weight after peeling and coring.
You can upgrade or downgrade the amount, but I don’t attempt more than 2 kg of pears (plus sugar), because larger batches won’t set properly.
Sugar
Although pears are sweet already, we need sugar to preserve the jam. The classic choice is jam sugar, where the pectin is already included. Now, if you like your jam very sweet, use jam sugar 1:1, which means that you take the same amount of sugar as fruit. For 1 kg of pears, we need 1 kg of sugar.
As pears are very sweet already, however, jam sugar 2:1 is also a good choice. It means taking half the amount of sugar compared to fruit. For 1 kg of pears, now, we need 500 g of sugar.
I personally prefer using household sugar and adding pectin. There are sachets of pectin, which also come in ratios of 1:1 and 2:1 (even 3:1 for very sweet fruit). So, when I have 1 kg of pears, I use 500 g of household sugar and one sachet of pectin 2:1.
To sum it up, choose the type and the amount of sugar based on your sweetness preference:
Jam sugar 1:1 (that means equal weight of sugar and fruit) for a very sweet jam
Jam sugar 2:1 (half the amount of sugar compared to the amount of fruit) for moderately sweet jam
My preference: regular sugar (500 g per 1 kg pears) plus one sachet of pectin 2:1
Lemon juice
Raw pears have a wonderful aroma, but when they are made into jam, they can taste a bit one-dimensional. To balance the sweetness of the pears, we add the juice of one lemon. It doesn’t make the jam sour but adds a zesty nuance to the overall flavour.
Flavour enhancers (optional but highly recommended)
Strictly speaking, you don’t need to add anything to your pear jam, but some herbs and spices enhance the pears’ flavour even further:
Vanilla: Half a pod (or quarter if very fresh) transforms the jam
Warm spices: Cinnamon, cardamom, clove, or nutmeg
Fresh herbs: Rosemary, lemongrass, lemon balm, or thyme
Get creative with combinations! If you need some inspiration, look at this article where I have listed different pear jam variations.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Got everything you need? Wonderful! Let’s start then.
Sterilise Your Jars
We want our jam to be shelf-stable for as long as possible. In an anaerobic (that is, oxygen-free) environment, however, certain bacteria and germs can grow well, and thus we must sterilise our jars to make them germ-free. If you want to read up on how to sterilise your jars properly, have a look here.
Prepare the Pears (Without Browning)
Pears turn brown quickly once they’re peeled. Although this change of colour doesn’t alter the taste, we want our jam to be the typical beautiful cream colour. To prevent the pears from browning, we must ensure that they’re not exposed to air for too long. Additionally, we must use acid, either in the form of lemon juice or vinegar, for preventing colour change.
For that purpose, fill a large bowl with water and add either the juice of one lemon or a splash of vinegar.
Now, peel, quarter, and core the pears, and immediately put them into the bowl.
When all pears are prepared that way, we can remove the single quarters and slice them lengthwise into 3-4 pieces.
Now chop them finely crosswise. If necessary, cut the chops further. Be careful, though: we don’t want pear pulp but small, yet distinct pieces.
The Crucial Resting Period
If we cooked jam from pears immediately after chopping them, the jam would become relatively dry and compact. So, we must induce the pears to remove some of their juice, and that’s best done by mixing them with sugar and letting them rest for a few hours. This step makes all the difference between dry, compact jam and a perfectly textured preserve:
Put the pear chops in a pot and add the sugar, pectin (if necessary), lemon juice and spices.
Mix it all thoroughly and let it rest for at least 3 hours, or overnight if possible.
During that resting period, the pears release their juices while absorbing the sugar, thus creating the perfect base for jam.
Cook to Perfection
Now it’s time to cook the jam!
Bring the pear mixture to a rolling boil over medium-high heat.
Set your timer for 4 minutes and let it all boil for that time. Stir the mixture regularly to prevent it from burning.
Test if the jam is done by dropping a spoonful of hot jam onto a cold plate. Now, tilt the plate and watch the jam: if it runs like water, it must be cooked for another minute. If it flows like thick honey, it’s ready!
Fill and Seal
Ladle hot jam into the sterilised jars. To make sure you don’t spill jam on the rims, a funnel comes in handy.
Clean the jar rims if necessary, and immediately seal the jars with tight lids.
Flip the jars upside down onto a clean kitchen towel and leave them like that for about 10 minutes to create a vacuum seal.
Turn the jars right-side up and let them cool completely.
Listen for the satisfying “pop” as vacuum seals form. When the jars are completely cooled off, press the centre of each lid: is it firm? Wonderful, everything’s fine! If it moves, the lid’s not properly sealed. Put that jar in the fridge and eat it within 1 – 2 weeks.
1sachetpectinonly if you use household sugar; if you use jam sugar you don't need pectin
1lemonjuice
1/4 - 1/2podvanilla(optional)
Equipment
Sharp knife
Cutting board
large bowl for prepped pears
Heavy-bottomed pot
Wooden spoon for stirring
Jam jars with lids (I prefer 250 ml /9 oz jars - large enough to be practical, small enough to finish before spoiling).
Method
Sterilise your jars
Fill a large bowl with water and add either the juice of one lemon or a splash of vinegar.
Peel, quarter, and core the pears and immediately put them into the bowl.
Remove the quarters one at a time and slice them lengthwise into 3 - 4 pieces.
Now chop them finely crosswise. If necessary, cut the chops further, but be careful: we don't want pulp but small, yet distinct pieces.
Put the pear chops in a pot and add the sugar, pectin (if necessary), lemon juice and spices.
Mix it all thoroughly and let it rest for at least 3 hours, or overnight if possible.
Bring the pear mixture to a rolling boil over medium-high heat
Set a timer for 4 minutes and maintain the boil. Stir regularly to prevent the mixture from burning.
Test for doneness by dropping a spoonful of hot jam onto a cold plate. Tilt the plate- if the jam flows like thick honey, it's ready
Ladle hot jam into sterilized jars (a funnel prevents messy rims)
Clean jar rims if needed and immediately seal with tight lids.
Flip jars upside down on a clean towel for 10 minutes to create a vacuum seal.
Turn the jars right-side up to cool completely.
Notes
Store sealed jars in a dark place at room temperature for up to 2 years. Once opened, refrigerate and enjoy within several weeks.
Storage
Like all jams, pear jam is best stored in a dark place at room temperature. Here, it is shelf-stable for up to 2 years. Once a jar is opened, keep it in the fridge and enjoy it within several weeks.
Your Gateway to Creative Jam-Making
Making pear jam is satisfying beyond words. Once you’ve mastered the basic technique, I guarantee you’ll soon find yourself experimenting with exciting flavour combinations.
But the best of all is that you’ll have a wonderful preserve for your pantry that brings the golden abundance of an autumn orchard onto your breakfast roll.
Home canning has become increasingly popular in recent years, and it’s obvious why: it’s cheaper to make preserves by yourself instead of buying them, and you have full control over what’s in your jars – or rather, what’s NOT in them! Also, what’s more sustainable than (ideally) growing your food on your doorstep and processing it freshly out of the garden?
There is, however, one crucial point we must observe to guarantee that our homemade preserves are safe to eat for a prolonged time: hygiene. It goes without saying that you wash your hands before processing any food, but there are also the jars to consider, in which we put our preserves. The jars and lids must be clean, too. Yet, just washing them out will not do the trick. Some germs and bacteria thrive in anaerobic (that is, oxygen-free) environments, like in closed jars, and they’re not beneficial for us! In fact, they can cause severe illness like botulism, especially in low-acid food.
That’s why we must sterilise jars and lids and thus kill all harmful bacteria before we use them for canning and preserving. Now, don’t shy away! You don’t need any fancy equipment for sterilising your jars at home. In fact, I guarantee you already have all you need.
Stick with me and I’ll describe four simple yet effective methods of how to sterilise jars at home.
Methods of sterilisation
Water-bath
The easiest method to sterilise jars is with boiling water. Put the open jars and the lids into a large pot and fill the jars and the pot with cold water. Jars and lids must be under water! Slowly heat the pot until the water boils. Let it all boil for 10 minutes. Remove the jars and lids with tongs and put them on a clean kitchen towel to dry off and cool down.
Make sure the jars are completely submerged!
Sterilisation in the oven
You can also use your oven to make your jars germ-free. This method is especially suitable when you have lots of jars to sterilise. Don’t sterilise the lids in the oven! They must be boiled in water. Pre-rinse your jars with hot water. Put the jars without lids on a baking tray and put them in the oven. Heat up the oven to 140 °C / 285 °F top/bottom heat. Once the oven has reached that temperature, set your timer for 15 minutes.
Afterwards, take the jars out of the oven, either with tongs or oven mitts. Don’t touch the rim or the inside of the jars! Put the jars on a clean kitchen towel and let them cool down.
Dishwasher
The easiest but also the longest method to sterilise jars is in the dishwasher. It’s especially suitable when you have many or large jars of one litre (1.8 pt / 35 oz) or more. Put all the jars upside down, as well as the lids (separately), into the dishwasher.
Do not add detergent! Also, do not add dirty dishes. Only the jars and the lids are allowed in that wash cycle! Choose the hottest programme and start it. Once the programme is finished, let the jars and lids cool off inside the dishwasher.
Microwave
The fastest method to sterilise jars is in the microwave. Do not sterilise lids that way! They must be boiled in water for 10 minutes. Fill the jars with water up to one-third. Put them in the microwave at 600 Watt and wait till the water is boiling. Leave them in the microwave for one further minute. Carefully remove them with tongs or oven mitts, or let them cool off in the microwave.
To prevent spoilage of our precious preserves, we must sterilise the jars. Here are different methods of sterilisation.
Author: Angela Braun
Instructions
Water-bath sterilisation
Put the open jars and the lids into a large pot and fill the jars and the pot with cold water. Jars and lids must be submerged!
Slowly heat the pot, bring to a boil and boil for 10 minutes.
Remove the jars and lids with tongs and put them on a clean kitchen towel to dry off and cool down.
Oven method
Rinse the jars with hot water.
Place them on a baking tray (not the lids!) and put it in the oven.
Heat up the oven to 140 °C / 285 °F top/bottom heat.
Once the oven has reached that temperature, set your timer for 15 minutes.
Take the jars out of the oven, either with tongs or oven mitts. Don't touch the rim or the inside of the jars! Put the jars on a clean kitchen towel and let them cool down.
Dishwasher
The easiest but also the longest method to sterilise jars is in the dishwasher. It's especially suitable when you have many or large jars of one litre (1.8 pt / 35 oz) or more.
Put all the jars upside down, as well as the lids (separately), into the dishwasher.
Do not add detergent! Also, do not add dirty dishes. Only the jars and the lids are allowed in that wash cycle!
Choose the hottest programme and start it.
Once the programme is finished, let the jars and lids cool off inside the dishwasher.
Microwave
The fastest method to sterilise jars is in the microwave. Do not sterilise lids that way! They must be boiled in water for 10 minutes.
Fill the jars with water up to one-third.
Put them in the microwave at 600 Watt and wait till the water is boiling.
Leave them in the microwave for one further minute.
Carefully remove them with tongs or oven mitts, or let them cool off in the microwave.
Whatever method you choose to sterilise your jars and lids, the most important thing is that you don’t skip this crucial step! When you ladle your homemade jam into freshly sterilised and still warm jars, close them with a lid and listen for that satisfying “pop”, you know that only good things are in that jar. That jam will stay fresh and safe for a year or more, thanks to your sterilisation, and so all the time and effort you put in making that jam was absolutely worthwhile. And not only did you make a yummy preserve, but you’ll have the absolute certainty that it will benefit your family whenever you eat it. Enjoy your delicious, safe homemade preserves with complete peace of mind!
Wanna dive right into jam making? Here are a few inspirations:
