Recipe(tried): Gingered Pear Jam

GINGERED PEAR JAM
Source: Well Preserved

Ingredients
1 cinnamon stick, 3 inches long
1 teaspoon whole cloves
6 cups peeled, cored and chopped pears-
1/2 cup lemon juice
4 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 cup chopped candied ginger

Process
Put the cinnamon stick and cloves in a square of cheesecloth then tie the top closed with string.
Combine pears and lemon juice in large saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring often.

Add the cheesecloth bag of spices and the sugar and ginger then stir until the sugar is dissolved. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, for 20-25 minutes, or until the mixture thickens. Be careful, as the jam may tend to stick to the bottom of the pan towards the end of the cooking time. Test for set if desired.

Remove from the heat and discard the spice bag. Stir the jam and skim off the foam if necessary. Ladle into clean, hot jars, leaving 1/4-inch headspace. Remove air bubbles by sliding a nonmetallic spatula between the jar and jelly; press gently on the food to release trapped air. Repeat procedure 2 to 3 times around jar. Wipe rim and threads of jar with a clean, damp cloth. Apply lids that have been prepared according to manufacturer directions. Center heated lid on jar with sealing compound next to glass. Screw band down evenly and firmly until a point of resistance is met-fingertip tight. Process in a simmering water bath (185 F) for 10 minutes.

Remove jars from canner; set them upright on a towel to cool. Bands should not be retightened. Let jars cool 12 to 24 hours. After jars are cool, test for a seal by pressing the center of the lid. If the lid does not flex up and down, the lid is sealed. Remove the bands. Wipe jars and lids with a clean, damp cloth. Label and store jars in a cool, dry, dark place.