Adventures in Canning Land

Christmas gift-making Day 2:  Caramel Pear Butter

This was my first time canning anything...hence "adventures".  I was really nervous, but it was unfounded, it went really well.  

I made Caramel Pear Butter from Bon Apetit.  I don't remember the month (sorry).  I usually don't share recipes that aren't mine or that I haven't changed drastically..and I'm not about to do it now!!  However, someone else already did, so if you would like the recipes, take a look at it here.  The entire recipe is honestly copied practically word for word from the magazine, so if you're into it...go to it!  I did use one cup of sucanat instead of brown sugar, just because I ran out.  Also, I don't have a food mill, so I used a blender, and just made sure it to just barely blend it.  This probably made it thinner than it should have been but it still came our super good.  Anyway, what I did do was take some pictures for you, and calculate the nutrition info, because I'm like that.  

7lbs of pears, peeled and cored

After being pureed, with sugar and spice added

Ta-da!

Recipe yields 8 8oz jars of Pear Butter.  The link I gave you above, she said she only had enough for 7 1/2, but mine fit into 8 absolutely perfectly.  

1 serving = 1 tbsp Pear Butter

Nutrition Information:  34.5 Calories;  0.1g Total Fat;  0.0g Saturated Fat;  0.0mg Cholesterol;  8.9g Carbohydrates;  0.6g Fiber; 0.1g Protein

Yeah, no protein, but its a condiment, give me a break.

So, all in all, I'm really happy with the way it came out!  I think it will make a great gift.  Plus, I overcame my canning fear.  I do have one more step to my presenting process, I'll post the whole package when I'm finished. 

The rest of my day was not as good.  Like I mentioned yesterday, my gym closed at 9AM this morning, so I planned on getting up early.  But when I got up, I realized my brother's school had a delay, which meant the gym was most likely closed, so I went back to bed...sort of.  I couldn't fall asleep because I was mad.  Anyway!  No matter, because I'm doing a split, I can do chest and then legs two days in a row and not be affected by it.  I'm going to my in-laws this weekend, which is kind of nice because I love to run at the lake near their house. 

Today had a Cooking Song!  Yay!:  "Lost in the Post" - The Wombats  

*This is the best band I have discovered from iTunes "free music Tuesday"