Chocolate Pear Jam Recipe

By
Lucy Baker
Lucy Baker
Lucy Baker is a food writer, publisher, and author of two cookbooks: The Boozy Baker: 75 Recipes for Spirited Sweets and Edible DIY: Simple, Giftable Recipes to Savor and Share. In addition to her columns on Serious Eats, she has written for The Journal News, Westchester Magazine, and her blog, Turnip the Oven.
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Updated September 17, 2020
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Lucy Baker

I love the flavor combination of rich chocolate, juicy pear, and nutty almond. This jam would make even rice cakes taste like an indulgent treat, but I especially enjoy it with warm brioche or crumbly butter scones.

Note: For this recipe I used Pomona's pectin to shorten the cooking time and ensure a perfect set. If you prefer not to use pectin, simply simmer the jam until it reaches 220°F on a candy thermometer—the temperature at which jams jell.

Adapted from Homemade Preserves & Jams by Mary Tregellas.

Recipe Details

Chocolate Pear Jam Recipe

Active 60 mins
Total 90 mins
Makes 6 half-pints
Cook Mode (Keep screen awake)

Ingredients

  • 3 1/2 cups granulated sugar
  • 3 teaspoons Pomona's Universal Pectin
  • 2 1/4 pounds ripe, juicy pears
  • 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice from about 2 lemons
  • 1/4 cup almond liqueur, such as amaretto
  • 4 teaspoons calcium water (included in the Pomona's box)
  • 1/2 teaspoon almond extract (optional)
  • 5 ounces extra-dark chocolate (at least 70%), chopped

Directions

  1. Combine the sugar and pectin in a medium bowl and whisk to blend.

  2. Peel, core, and chop the pears. Transfer them to a food processor and pulse until they are coarsely pureed, about 10 pulses.

  3. Combine the pears, lemon juice, amaretto, calcium water, and almond extract (if using) in a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring frequently. Add the sugar-pectin mixture and return the mixture to a full rolling boil. Boil for one minute. Remove the pot from the heat and skim any foam from the surface of the jam. Stir in the chocolate until melted and smooth.

  4. Ladle the hot jam into hot, clean jars. To preserve the jam, process it in a hot water bath for 10 minutes. The preserved jam will keep for up to a year on the shelf. Otherwise, store the jars in the refrigerator for up to two months.

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