If preserving Asian pears, add some acidity
Question: I have an Asian pear tree. I have so much fruit this year that I’d like to make some pear butter or pear sauce with them. Can I process them like regular pears or do I need to do something different?
Answer: Asian pears, apple pears and Oriental pears are crisp like apples. There are more than 10 varieties now grown in North America. They are a different tree fruit crop than “regular” pears, such as Bartlett or Comice. Asian pears must be acidified before canning.
Each variety may differ in flavor, color, texture and/or acidity. Some are classified by fruit experts as “low acid.” Therefore, during processing for juice or preserves, homemade products containing Asian pears must be treated by adding acid to prevent the growth of botulism-causing bacteria.
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The procedure to acidify home-canned Asian pears is simple. Simply add 1 tablespoon bottled lemon juice per pint jar at the time of filling with hot preserves. Or add 2 tablespoons per quart. Process as you would regular pears. This advice is based on research conducted by fruit experts with Oregon State University’s Southern Oregon Research and Extension Center. To learn more, search “Preserving Asian Pears” at the top of http://extension.oregonstate.edu.
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Q: Last week, I gathered a bunch of windfall apples and pears from a friends’ orchard. I am going to make apple and pear sauce. Then we are going to press the rest of the fruit for cider. Is it necessary to heat or treat the cider for it to be absolutely safe? Or can I just freeze it?
A: Caution is in order, according to food safety experts. If you plan to make your own (or purchase) fresh juice or raw cider from windfall fruit, it is safest to heat process (pasteurize) your juice.
Whats the risk? Windfall fruit (fruit that has fallen to the ground) often comes in contact with domestic and wild animals that might frequent an orchard. Windfall apples are quite likely to be contaminated with bacteria from pets, deer, livestock, birds and whatever else wanders through an orchard
Raw apple cider has been linked with E.coli 0157:H7 outbreaks. This hasn’t occurred often, but it is better to be safe than sorry, especially if you have young kids, are pregnant or have older friends or immunocompromised people in your household.
Pasteurizing raw apple juice before drinking it can minimize the risk of illness. It is easy to pasteurize juice at home. All you need is a large kettle and a good kitchen thermometer. Heat the raw juice to 160 degrees.
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If you don’t have a thermometer handy, heat the juice to simmering (just below the boiling point). Then it can be refrigerated or frozen. Be sure to leave adequate headspace if the juice is frozen in jars.
For long-term storage (without refrigeration), apple juice may be canned in a boiling water canner. Heat to boiling, put into jars and process in a boiling water canner for five minutes. The juice can also be frozen.
I assume your apple and pear sauces will be cooked, so there’s no need for additional treatment.
To learn more about the ins-and-outs of making safe juice, the OSU Extension publication "Preserving Fruit Juices and Apple Cider" (SP50-455) is available online at http://extension.oregonstate.edu. Search for it at the top of the page.
For more information about safe canning and preserving other foods from apples, such as applesauce, dried apples, pie filling or apple butter, download OSU Extension's fact sheet on preserving apple products, also on the web site.
Carol Savonen is a naturalist and writer. She is an associate professor emeritus at OSU and tends a large garden in the Coast Range Hills west of Philomath with her husband and dogs. She can be reached at Carol.Savonen@oregonstate.edu or c/o: EESC, 422 Kerr Admin. Bldg., OSU, Corvallis, OR 97331