Food Gifts in a Jar - Jelly, Jam, Preserves and Syrup

Vanilla Pear Jelly

8 large, ripe Anjou pears, stemmed and blossom
    ends removed, then quartered with peel left on
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
3 1/2 cups cane sugar
1 (1.75 ounce) box powdered pectin

Wash fruit. Adjust enough water to barely cover pears in a large sauce pan or kettle. Boil uncovered for 35-45 minutes. Fruit should look translucent. Strain juice through a double layer of cheesecloth or a jelly bag. Do not try to hurry this by squeezing the fruit or the juice will become cloudy. The peel helps give the juice a pale yellow color.

Wash and rinse jars. Pour 2 inches of water into each jar, place in pan and add water up to half way around jars. Bring to boil. Wash and rinse jar seals and jar rings. Boil jar rings, but keep rinsed seals aside.

Heat 3 1/2 cups of the pear juice (if you don't have enough juice, you can add as much as 1/2 cup water), add the vanilla and the pectin. Bring to a boil and add the sugar. Boil until the sugar is dissolved and the boiling mixture cannot be stirred down (about 10 - 20 minutes) You'll begin to see the mixture thicken on the back of a wooden spoon and form 2 side-by-side droplets at this point.. Turn down the heat, skim off the foam, and bring to a boil for another five minutes. Using you "spoon test", the jelly should be thick enough to "sheet" in small waves on the back of the spoon.

Pour into sterilized jars and add lids. You may want to boil the filled jars for another five minutes after the lids have been put in place. You'll know either way if the seal has been made by placing your finger in the center of the cooled lid. If it doesn't spring back, the jar has been sealed. You may also recognize the "pop" during the cooling process, which signals that the seal has been made. Store in a cool, dry place.

Makes 6 to 7 (8 ounce) jars.