Canning pears is one of the easiest ways to preserve fresh pears when they are in season.

Tender, sweet canned pears are perfect to keep stocked in the pantry for quick snacks, desserts, breakfasts, and simple side dishes.

And unlike many vegetables, regular pears can be safely preserved using a boiling water bath canner.

In this guide, I’ll show you exactly how to can pears at home, including how to prepare the fruit, make a light syrup, hot pack the pears, and adjust your processing time for altitude.

Why You’ll Love Canning Pears

If you have more fresh pears than you can eat before they soften, canning is such a practical way to preserve them.

Home canned pears are:

• Easy to water bath can
• Beginner-friendly
• Naturally sweet
• Great for stocking the pantry
• Delicious straight from the jar
• Perfect for desserts and breakfasts
• An easy way to preserve an abundance of pears

Once they’re canned, you’ve essentially created your own homemade version of canned fruit without needing to buy it from the grocery store.

What Kind of Pears Are Best for Canning?

Choose pears that are ripe and mature but still firm enough to hold their shape.

You don’t want rock-hard underripe pears, but you also don’t want extremely soft or mushy fruit.

Bartlett pears are a classic choice for canning, but other firm European-style pears can also work well.

Avoid using bruised, spoiled, or overripe fruit.

A Note About Asian Pears

Asian pears are different from regular European pears.

Because their acidity can vary, Asian pears require bottled lemon juice for safe boiling-water canning.

If you are canning Asian pears, use a tested recipe specifically written for Asian pears rather than the recipe below.

Do You Have to Peel Pears Before Canning?

Yes.

For the best texture and quality, peel the pears before canning.

Once peeled, cut each pear in half lengthwise and remove the core.

A melon baller or small metal measuring spoon makes coring pears really easy.

You can leave the pears in halves or slice them if you prefer smaller pieces.

How to Keep Pears From Turning Brown

Pears begin to brown fairly quickly once they are peeled and cut.

As you prepare them, place the peeled pears in an ascorbic acid solution according to the product directions.

This keeps the fruit looking fresh while you finish preparing the rest of the batch.

You can find commercial fruit preservatives containing ascorbic acid with other canning supplies.

Do You Have to Can Pears in Sugar Syrup?

No.

The sugar is not what makes canned pears safe.

Syrup mainly helps the fruit retain its flavor, color, and texture during storage.

You can safely hot pack pears in:

• Very light syrup
• Light syrup
• Medium syrup
• Apple juice
• White grape juice
• Water

I prefer a light syrup because it adds just enough sweetness without making the pears overly sugary.

Light Syrup for Canning Pears

For approximately one canner load of 9 pints, combine:

• 5¾ cups water
• 1½ cups sugar

Heat the water and sugar together until the sugar dissolves and the mixture comes to a boil.

If you prefer less added sugar, a very light syrup can be made with:

• 6½ cups water
• ¾ cup sugar

You can also skip the sugar completely and use water, apple juice, or white grape juice.

How to Can Pears

What You’ll Need

• Fresh ripe but firm pears
• Water
• Sugar, if using syrup
• Ascorbic acid solution for preventing browning
• Pint or quart canning jars
• New canning lids
• Canning bands
• Water bath canner
• Jar lifter
• Canning funnel
• Bubble remover
• Large pot
• Vegetable peeler or paring knife
• Melon baller or small spoon

Step 1: Prepare Your Canner and Jars

Fill your water bath canner with enough water to eventually cover the filled jars by at least 1 inch.

Begin heating the water.

Wash your canning jars and keep them hot until you’re ready to fill them.

Prepare your lids according to the manufacturer’s directions.

If you’re new to canning, read my Water Bath Canning for Beginners guide before starting.

Step 2: Wash and Peel the Pears

Wash the pears thoroughly under cool running water.

Peel each pear using a vegetable peeler or paring knife.

Cut the pears in half lengthwise.

Remove the cores and any bruised or damaged spots.

Leave the pears in halves or slice them if desired.

Step 3: Prevent the Pears From Browning

As you prepare the pears, place them in an ascorbic acid solution.

Keep them in the solution until you’re ready to hot pack them.

Once all of the pears are prepared, drain them.

Step 4: Prepare Your Syrup

Combine the water and sugar for your chosen syrup in a large pot.

For a light syrup, use:

5¾ cups water + 1½ cups sugar

Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring until the sugar has completely dissolved.

Remember that you can also can pears in water, apple juice, or white grape juice if you don’t want to use syrup.

Step 5: Hot Pack the Pears

Add the drained pears to the boiling syrup, juice, or water.

Return the liquid to a boil.

Boil the pears gently for 5 minutes.

Hot packing helps improve the quality of canned pears and reduces the amount of floating fruit in the finished jars.

Step 6: Fill the Jars

Using a canning funnel and slotted spoon, carefully pack the hot pears into hot jars.

If you’re packing pear halves, arrange them neatly in the jars.

Ladle the hot cooking liquid over the pears.

Leave ½ inch of headspace at the top of each jar.

Step 7: Remove Air Bubbles

Run a bubble remover or other appropriate nonmetallic utensil around the inside of the jar to release trapped air bubbles.

Recheck your headspace.

Add additional hot liquid if needed to maintain ½ inch of headspace.

Wipe the rims of the jars with a clean damp cloth.

Apply the lids and bands according to the manufacturer’s directions.

Step 8: Water Bath Can the Pears

Place the filled jars into your boiling water bath canner.

Make sure the jars are completely covered with water.

Bring the water to a full rolling boil.

Process the jars according to their size and your elevation.

Canning Pears Processing Times

Elevation	Pints	Quarts
0–1,000 feet	20 minutes	25 minutes
1,001–3,000 feet	25 minutes	30 minutes
3,001–6,000 feet	30 minutes	35 minutes
Above 6,000 feet	35 minutes	40 minutes

Start timing once the water has returned to a full boil.

Keep the water boiling throughout the entire processing time.

Step 9: Cool the Jars

When the processing time is complete, turn off the heat.

Remove the jars according to proper boiling-water canning procedures and place them upright on a towel or cooling rack.

Do not tighten the bands or press down on the lids.

Let the jars cool undisturbed for 12–24 hours.

Step 10: Check the Seals

Once the jars are completely cool, check each seal.

The center of the lid should be concave and should not flex up and down when pressed.

Remove the bands before storing the jars.

Label your jars with the contents and date and store them in a cool, dark, dry place.

If a jar did not seal, refrigerate it and use it first rather than placing it on the pantry shelf.

Hot Pack vs. Raw Pack Pears

I recommend using the hot pack method for pears.

With hot pack canning, the pears are heated in the syrup, juice, or water for about 5 minutes before they go into the jars.

This helps remove some of the air from the fruit and generally gives you a better-quality finished product.

Raw-packed pears tend to float more and are not recommended for the best quality.

Can I Can Pears Without Sugar?

Yes.

Sugar is not required for the safety of canned pears.

You can can pears in plain water if you want to avoid added sugar.

Apple juice or white grape juice are also good options if you want some natural sweetness without making a sugar syrup.

Keep in mind that syrup can help canned fruit retain its flavor, shape, and color.

Why Are My Canned Pears Floating?

Floating fruit is fairly common when canning fruit.

Pears may float if:

• They weren’t hot packed
• The jars were packed too loosely
• There was a lot of air trapped in the fruit
• Too much liquid was used compared with the amount of fruit

As long as the jars were properly processed and sealed, some floating doesn’t necessarily mean anything went wrong.

Using the hot-pack method and packing the jars fairly firmly can help reduce floating.

Why Did My Canned Pears Turn Pink?

Sometimes canned pears develop a pink color.

This can happen from natural chemical changes in the fruit and does not necessarily indicate spoilage.

Interestingly, pressure canning pears can make pink discoloration more likely, which is one reason boiling-water canning is a great choice for pears.

Ways to Use Home Canned Pears

One of the best things about having canned pears in the pantry is how easy they are to use.

Try them:

• Straight from the jar
• With yogurt or cottage cheese
• Over oatmeal
• In a pear crisp
• In a pear crumble
• With vanilla ice cream
• In smoothies
• Alongside breakfast
• Chopped into salads
• With walnuts and blue cheese
• In baked desserts

You can even drain the pears, sprinkle them with cinnamon, and serve them as an easy side dish.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can Pears Be Water Bath Canned?

Yes.

Regular pears can be safely processed in a boiling water bath canner using a tested recipe.

Asian pears require additional acidification and should be canned according to a tested Asian pear recipe.

How Long Do You Water Bath Can Pears?

At elevations between 0 and 1,000 feet, process:

Pints for 20 minutes

Quarts for 25 minutes

Processing times increase at higher elevations.

Always determine your elevation before canning.

How Much Headspace Do Canned Pears Need?

Leave ½ inch of headspace between the fruit/liquid and the top of the jar.

Remove air bubbles and check the headspace again before applying the lids.

Do You Have to Add Lemon Juice When Canning Pears?

Regular European pears do not require bottled lemon juice as an acidifying ingredient when you follow a tested pear-canning recipe.

An ascorbic acid solution is commonly used while preparing the pears to prevent browning.

Asian pears are different and require acidification with bottled lemon juice when boiling-water canned.

Can I Can Pears in Water Instead of Syrup?

Yes.

Pears may be canned in water, apple juice, white grape juice, or an appropriate sugar syrup.

The syrup helps with the quality of the finished fruit but is not required for preservation safety.

Can I Leave the Skins on Pears When Canning?

For best results, peel the pears.

The tested method for home-canned pears calls for washing and peeling the fruit before cutting, coring, and hot packing it.

Should Pears Be Ripe Before Canning?

Choose mature pears that are good quality for eating fresh or cooking.

They should be ripe but still firm enough to hold their shape during cooking and processing.

Extremely soft or overripe pears are not ideal for canning.

Tips for the Best Canned Pears

Start with good-quality fruit.

Don’t wait until the pears are overly soft.

Use an ascorbic acid solution to prevent browning while you’re preparing the batch.

Hot pack instead of raw packing.

Maintain the full ½ inch of headspace.

Remove trapped air bubbles before sealing the jars.

Adjust your processing time for altitude.

And don’t worry about making an extremely sweet syrup.

A very light or light syrup lets the natural flavor of the pears come through.

More Ways to Preserve Your Harvest

If you’re filling your pantry while produce is in season, you may also like:

What to Preserve in September

100 Foods You Can Can

Water Bath Canning for Beginners

Canning Applesauce

15 Ways to Preserve Apples for Winter

There is nothing better than seeing jars of fruit lined up on the pantry shelf and knowing that food won’t go to waste.

Canning pears is simple, doesn’t require a pressure canner, and gives you a ready-to-eat fruit you can enjoy long after pear season is over.

Canned Pears Recipe

Method: Boiling water bath canning
Headspace: ½ inch
Yield: Approximately 9 pints per 11 pounds of pears
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Processing Time: 20 minutes for pints or 25 minutes for quarts at 0–1,000 feet

Ingredients

11 pounds ripe, firm pears

5¾ cups water

1½ cups sugar

Ascorbic acid solution, prepared according to package directions

Instructions

Wash, peel, halve, and core the pears.

Place the prepared pears in an ascorbic acid solution as you work to prevent browning.

Prepare a boiling water bath canner and keep clean jars hot.

Combine the water and sugar in a large pot and bring to a boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves.

Drain the pears and add them to the boiling syrup.

Boil gently for 5 minutes.

Pack the hot pears into hot jars.

Cover with the hot cooking syrup, leaving ½ inch of headspace.

Remove air bubbles and adjust the headspace if necessary.

Wipe the jar rims and apply lids and bands according to the manufacturer’s directions.

Process pint jars for 20 minutes or quart jars for 25 minutes at elevations of 0–1,000 feet.

At 1,001–3,000 feet, process pints for 25 minutes and quarts for 30 minutes.

At 3,001–6,000 feet, process pints for 30 minutes and quarts for 35 minutes.

Above 6,000 feet, process pints for 35 minutes and quarts for 40 minutes.

Allow the jars to cool undisturbed for 12–24 hours.

Check the seals before labeling and storing the jars.

Notes

Pears can also be canned in very light syrup, medium syrup, water, apple juice, or white grape juice.

For a very light syrup, use 6½ cups water and ¾ cup sugar for approximately one 9-pint canner load.

This recipe is intended for regular pears. Asian pears require added bottled lemon juice and should be canned according to a tested Asian pear recipe.