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Pear Jam with Chocolate

Source of Recipe

From "Preserving by the Pint" by Marisa McClellan


Recipe Introduction

"The way I see it, there are two kinds of jam in the world. There's your workaday jams, the ones that you spread on sandwiches, shake into vinaigrettes, or use to sweeten bowls of plain yogurt. And then there are the special-occasion jams. Those are the ones that you give as gifts, pull out for special brunches, or savor on holiday mornings. For me, this jam falls into that latter category, particularly when spread on toasted challah. Many thanks to Mary Tregalla and her book Notes from the Jam Cupboard, for the inspiration."

List of Ingredients

â—¦ 1 ½ pounds ripe, thin-skinned pears (Bartlett, Bosc, or Anjou)
â—¦ ¾ cup granulated sugar
â—¦ Juice of ½ lemon
â—¦ 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder


Recipe

Core the pears and chop into a small dice. Place in a small bowl and add the sugar and lemon juice. Stir well to integrate the sugar and break up the pears a little. When you're ready to cook the jam, prepare a boiling water bath and two half-pint jars. Place two lids in a small saucepan of water and bring to a gentle simmer.

To cook, scrape the pears into a large skillet and place over medium-high heat. Stirring regularly, bring the fruit to a boil and cook until it bubbles and looks quite thick, 8 to 10 minutes. It's done when you pull a spatula through the jam and it doesn't immediately rush in to fill the space you've cleared.

Remove the jam from the heat and stir in the cocoa powder. When it's fully integrated, funnel the jam into the prepared jars, leaving ½ inch of headspace. Wipe the rims, apply the lids and rings, and process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes.

Makes 2 half-pint jars