Have you ever been over to the Eliot Eats blog? It’s this wonderful mix of elegant and down to earth recipes, garden tips, restaurant reviews and narration of these wonderful cooking classes/demonstrations she and her husband take around the area where she lives. I especially like those. She lives in the same part of the country I do making the places and chefs she references very familiar to me. A while back, she and her husband took a chocolate class at the Canebrake where she told us about the most wonderful ways to include chocolate in recipes – very unexpected ways – and one of them was just too tempting for me to resist! The minute I saw the recipe I was in love and I think you will be too. This recipe also blends nicely with my next giveaway: one box of Heritage Blue Ball Mason Jars! I was lucky enough to get 2 boxes just prior to them going on backorder until June. I’m keeping one and the other could be yours.
I ordered mine on line but I was told by the folks at the company, many stores including Wal-Mart, Target and Hobby Lobby will be carrying these beginning sometime this summer so look for them there. As a side note, these are my new canisters:
I found them at Wal-Mart for $13.47 each. They are one-gallon size and great for almost 10 pounds of flour or sugar. As you can see I have – from the left: flour, brown sugar, powdered sugar, whole wheat pasta, granulated sugar and whole wheat flour. They are going to look fantastic with my new Kitchen Aid mixer – is there anything that doesn’t look great with one? Back to the recipe…..
I made my recipe a bit different than the one on EE because I don’t mind pectin – gives it that jam feel to me – and I have already worked up my pears. At Christmas, Top Girl’s in-laws gave my husband and I two very large Asian Pears. I had never used big Asian Pears before but my friends on Facebook assured me these are the Cadillac of pears. I washed them, cut them into big chunks, covered with water and brought them to a simmer. Then I turned off the heat and put the pot lid on allowing the whole thing to steep just like a pot of tea. After it cooled, I ran the fruit through my food mill and strained the pear water several time to get any sediment out. I mixed the clear juice and the fruit meat together placing in the freezer to a more convenient time. Somewhere along the line, Eliot’s Eats posted the Chocolate Pear Jam recipe. I picked up a bar of baking chocolate and I was in business! Of course, since I used pectin my recipe would have to be made completely differently. If you prefer no pectin, use EE’s by clicking on the link provided but if you don’t mind pectin, you can use mine.
Chocolate Pear Jam
Here’s what you will need:
4 cups prepared juice (about 11 medium pears or 2 Asian pears)
1 lemon, juiced
6 Tbsp Classic Pectin
1/2 tsp butter or margarine, optional
5-1/2 cups sugar
4 oz. chopped milk chocolate
1 vanilla bean scraped
8 (8 oz) half pint glass preserving jars with lids and bands
Directions:
1.) PREPARE pears by washing outside well and cutting into big chunks. Do not worry about the outer peel or seeds – they all have flavor enhancing contributions. Add 3 cups water. Simmer 10 minutes, covered, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and allow to steep until cool then run pulp through food mill and strain juice through several layers of cheese cloth.
2.) PREPARE boiling water canner. Heat jars and lids in simmering water until ready for use. Do not boil. Set bands aside. Measure juice and other ingredients. If you need more juice, simply add water to fruit pulp and extract.
3.) COMBINE prepared pear juice with lemon juice and vanilla bean in a 6-or 8-quart saucepan. Gradually stir in pectin. Add up to 1/2 tsp. butter or margarine to reduce foaming, if desired. Bring mixture to a full rolling boil that cannot be stirred down, over high heat, stirring constantly.
4.) ADD entire measure of sugar, stirring to dissolve, Return mixture to a full rolling boil. Boil hard 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Add chopped chocolate and stir until melted. Skim foam if necessary.
5.) LADLE hot jelly into hot jars leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Wipe rim. Center lid on jar. Apply band until fit is fingertip tight.
6.) PROCESS jars in a boiling water canner for 10 minutes, adjusting for altitude. Remove jars and cool. Check lids for seal after 24 hours. Lid should not flex up and down when center is pressed.
If you just can’t wait to try it out, put a little dab of the jam in a saucer and put it in the freezer for a few minutes. It will gel and then you can take it out, let it come to room temperature and put on anything from toast to biscuits to croissants to pound cake!
As for the drawing, if you want to win the case (6) pint jars of Heritage Blue Ball Mason Jars, please comment below. Drawing will be held at 6:00 PM CDT Monday May 13, 2013 – so you have until 5:59 PM on that date to enter. Good luck!
***Kelly @ Eclectically Vintage is having a blue mason jar giveaway too!! Go visit her for another chance to win!!*****
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I van’y wait to try this recipe! Thank you for always bringing new and interesting recipes to us!
So good to hear from you my friend! This tastes REALLY good – no kidding. That pound cake I had it on is Sara Lee store-bought but it just tasted wonderful together! Good luck!
You are too kind! I’m glad you tried this. When I try the cherry-chocolate jam I want to try, I will link back to this post.
I was lucky enought to score some of the blue jars from Amazon. I am glad to know that area stores will stock them (eventually).
Thanks so much for the shout out!
Happy to do it! Next year when it’s orange season again – I’m going to make that. This just tasted incredibly good!
I am new to canning but I am definitely putting this on my “to-do”list. Thanks for the great recipes and giveaways.
You are welcome and thank YOU for being a reader of my blog! Good luck!
I’ve always wanted to try canning. Those blue jars were in our stores for about a day and then poof! shelves emptied! They’re very cool.
Thank you Eartha – I’m going to put little toys, game pieces, shells, etc… in them for decoration.
What a fun post full of great finds!!! 🙂
Thanks! I really love my new canisters! These blue jar are so beautiful – they would look great with buttons or ribbons or some other decoration in them!
Yum 🙂 What a lovely idea! Love that folks are canning jams, etc. Great way to celebrate seasonal produce.
On another topic: Thought of you when I bought this book. Very retro and lots of fun reminisces. http://www.amazon.com/Apple-Betty-Sloppy-Joe-Stirring/dp/087020386X
Thanks Liz! I can’t wait to go see it!!
The blue jars are my favorite. I would put all kind of things in them and leave them out where they could be seen.
Me too! I think they are beautiful! Thank you for dropping by and please come again. Good luck!
Yum! That jam sounds so good! I just kicked off the canning season this weekend by teaching 2 coworkers to can. I need to put this one on my list…
You will love it – I was really surprised at how tasty it was!
What a marvelous idea. Pear is a curiously sophisticated flavor; you notice that it rarely appears in children’s candies or sweet cereals. I think this would be good with bread and brie cheese and some Schramsberg.
margueritecore [at] gmail [dot] com
I think you are right – Pear is not something I generally go for but these Asian pears were a wonderful new taste to me – then adding the chocolate and vanilla bean? Sublime! Good luck!
I’m new to canning, have only made Blueberry Jam a couple of times. It worked & it tasted good so I’ve stayed with that so far. This will get me moving again. It sounds wonderful u& I know my husband will love Pears & Chocolate, I can just imagine what He’ll try it on. I would love to win the canning jars. TNhe blue is so beautiful. I’d fill them & keep them out on my counters. They would be a great addition to my kitchen. Thanks for the giveaway.
I have a co worker who begs me for my lemon & blueberry jam every year – I enjoy making because it smells so fresh! I hope you enjoy it as much as I am…..on the pound cake! 🙂 Pound cake makes everything taste great! Good luck!
LOVE the new canisters I am going to look for them. I adore the blue canning jars, always a classic. I hadn’t thought to combine pears and chocolate but I get a ton of pears from a friend and this recipe might be just the thing for a nice variation!
I used the canisters last night for the first time (needed to get some sugar for the jam) and using a 1/2 cup measuring scoop worked wonderfully and the lid came off without a bunch of pulling and tugging as I had feared would happen. Thanks for coming over and please come again. Good luck!
The chocolate with the pear sounds tantalizing and delicious. I’d love to try it. And the blue mason jars shining in the sun are gorgeous! Thanks for the chance.
Thank you! I ran out onto the front porch just before I made the post because I got caught up in making the jam and forgot to take a picture – luckily, the sun was just right. Thank you for reading and please come back soon. Good luck!
So cool! Love the blue jars too! Please enter me in your giveaway! Thank you!!
Thank you for dropping by – please come again. Good luck!
Your recipe sounds amazing. I would really love to win these blue jars. I have been looking for them in the stores but so far have not been able to find any. Thanks so much for offering them!
I’m saving this recipe for later this summer when pears are in season around here. Maybe, I’ll eat it out of a blue mason jar … hmmmm??! 🙂
Thank for dropping by! Good luck – maybe you WILL be eating out of that jar!
I would love to try something like this. nicolel@catt.com
I hope you do and maybe you’ll have these blue jars to put it in! Thank you for dropping by and please come again. Good Luck!
Yum, this jam sounds so good. But then, chocolate and fruit always go well. 🙂
And blue jars, how pretty!
Thanks for dropping by Kim – I think fruit and chocolate go well too!! Good luck!
My grandmother used to make a jam she called Pear Honey – it was wonderful! This brings back memories of washing and prepping those jars with her.
Yes, I used to help my nana do that as well – she had all kind of fruit trees in her back yard so there was something always ready to can in the summer. Good luck!!
Love theses jars! Thanks for the giveaway!! sharoo1975@yahoo.com
You are welcome and thank YOU for dropping by – please come again. Good luck!
The chocolate pear jam looks amazing! and i HAVE to get some of those canisters. Checking online for them now! 🙂
I hope you found the canisters – they are fabulous! Thank you for dropping by and please come again!
your chocolate pear jam looks so yummy Kelli !!! 🙂 I have never tried making jam! & I love, love winning those blue mason jars; they are so beautiful 😉
Aren’t they beautiful?!?! They are wonderful. You should try it sometime – it’s not really that hard – you just have to have a clock with a second hand to you follow time really well! Good luck!
🙂 Thank you Kelli!
I would love to win – saw on Amazon.com that these were one of their top sellers. thanks for sharing the recipe
And at this point, as far as I know, they are ALL on backorder until at least June! Thanks for dropping by, please come by again and good luck!
Am doing a small garden with the grands this year and those jars would be perfect for gifting some homemade marinara!
Thanks so much for the opportunity!
Ohhhhhhhh……..I’ve been looking for a recipe for homemade marinara – I hope you’ll share yours! Thanks for dropping by, please come back and good luck!!
My friend might use these for her wedding!
What a great idea! Thanks for dropping by and good luck!
What a great giveaway, thanks!
Thank you for dropping by and good luck!
Loving this recipe…and totally love the jars – need to get me some!
Thanks for dropping by and please come again!
I have not seen the blue mason jars before- love them!
Aren’t they great? I love them too. Thank you for dropping by and good luck!
This recipe looks and sounds delicious! I can not wait to try it! I love the blue mason jars too!
Thank you! Aren’t they just gorgeous? Good luck!
half_blue_sky@yahoo.com
These are so pretty, I would love to win! I’m still a little intimidated by canning, but I have big ambitions. 🙂
If you want to can a little something and you like strawberries, I recommend strawberry jam as your first attempt. They are the most forgiving fruit and if you follow the instructions you just can’t mess it up! It was my first canning attempt and I always recommend it to others. Thanks for dropping by and please come again. Good luck!
I love mason jars and these blue ones are beautiful! I use them for storage, mixing, and I drink out of the occasionally too,lol!
You know, I never even thought of making them drinking glasses! Those would be great! Thanks for coming by – good luck!
Looks delicious and I LOVE those blue bell jars 🙂
Aren’t they great?! Good luck!
I’ve never seen jam with chocolate in it, but I bet it tastes yummy! The jars are so pretty.
I never had either and that’s why I couldn’t wait to do it! It IS delicious. I gave some to my mom and she and her Bunco friends used it on ice cream – they asked for another jar! Good luck!
Um… that sounds amazing. I’m going to definitely add it to my list of things I want to can this summer. Megan and I are going to buy everything seasonably and have canning parties once a month or so. I’m excited because I’ve never canned before!
Sounds exciting! I hope you two enjoy it as much as I do! If you need any help, just let me know – I’ll be happy to help out!
I just bought one of these canisters. It doesn’t seem like it has a good seal. It feels like the lid comes off too easily. I love the canister and I hope I am wrong. Do yours sound like this?
Anne
Hi Anne – I still use mine every single day but the lid does not really come off very easily on any of them….is there a thick clear plastic seal around the glass part? If not then it’s missing something. It should be almost like a vacuum seal and I have to push it up with both my thumbs on one side to get them off……..sometimes hard! My set has been keeping my stuff (including chocolate chips) fresh for 2 years now! Thanks for dropping by!
Oh thank you! I didn’t push it down all the way!
Hey Kalamitykelli! Just found your blog site & I can’t wait to try the Chocolate Pear Jam recipe! Question about those new blue jars: can you tell me if they are made in America? Just wondering as I’ve heard lots of people have been having problems with various canning jars that are made in China etc… Now I need to go explore your site some more! 😉 ~Maw Kettle~
Hi Kim! So glad you dropped by and hope you come by again. To answer your question: Ball, Kerr and Golden Harvest jars are all made in the same glass plants and all are here in the U.S. – one of them is in Oklahoma (where I live) near my aunt and uncle’s home. I don’t know if Jarden (the company that actually makes all the jars) has the blue glass jars made here in this state but they are made in the contiguous 48 somewhere. I’m not sure where you buy canning jars made in China…..I really only thought there were only 3 brands sold in the US but since I live in the more rural part of America, it could be somewhere else where these jars are sold. Good luck!
Thanks for the heads up on the canisters at Walmart. I am newctonyour blog, amend will be returning to visit.
Thank you so much for dropping by – and please do come again. I just LOVE my canisters. I’ve had ocassion to use them several times this week and they are very easy to use (some canisters aren’t), they still look great and I can see how much of what I have with one glance! My son and his fiance’ are in love with them too and have asked for them as a wedding present! Good luck!
Everything is better with chocolate 🙂 Thanks for having such a great give away.
Thank you! And thank you for dropping by – I hope you come by again! Good luck!
I remember well the process of checking the spoon of ‘jam’ after the freezer when I used to make jam. I did make the perfect Strawberry jam once, must have been good as the In Laws said so… 🙂 Hope you are well Kelli?
I”m good – we are busy with wedding plans (next Saturday) AND I got food poisoning yesterday!! Whew! It’s always something, isn’t it? 🙂
Oh No! Glad you hadn’t been to mine for dinner 🙂 Hope you get better soon?
I think it is great the blue jars are coming back , I luv the vintage stuff. Have a good one, I like this blog
Thank you for dropping by and please come again! I’m so glad you liked it! Good luck!
Hi, just found your site…soo neat and informing, dumb ? Can you direct me to ” how to enter your contest? I can’t figure out how..lol … Also anyone have a copycat or close recipe for Nutella … My girls (and I ) are wild about the stuff … Thx
Thank you for dropping by and please come back soon! Just by commenting on this post – you are already entered! Just come back Monday night and see if you won! As for the Nutella recipe: I don’t have a recipe because I use my friend Joan’s from Chocolate, chocolate and more. It’s the best! http://chocolatechocolateandmore.com/2012/08/chocolate-almond-butter-or-homemade-nutella/
Ohhh yes, I love the canisters…have been pondering for a long time what kind to get…problem solved now 🙂
You will love them!!
Count me in! And my son is getting married next Saturday, too!
Congratulations!! Thank you for dropping by and please come back on Monday evening to see if you won! Good luck!
Hi Kelli! Love these jars, and would love to win them. I absolutely adore your canisters too. I have seen (and bought) the half-gallon sized jars, but I haven’t seen the gallon sized ones–those are so cool! I’ll be looking for those at my Walmart for sure!
Thanks for the giveaway, and for sharing at From the Farm Blog Hop!
~Kristi
Wouldn’t these jars look great with some lemonade in them? I’m going to have to use at least two as drinkers and then use my other 4 for decoration!
Oh, I’d love to win these. Pick me!!
I love a girl that’s straightforward! Thanks for dropping by and please come again!! Good luck!
I have a slight addiction (ok, significant!) to blue glass items and also love Ball Jars! I have not seem these in stores yet so I am going to have to check next time I go! Thank you for the chance to win them too!
You are more than welcome and thank YOU for dropping by – please come again. Good Luck!!
The color of the jam is wonderful…great job.
Thank you! It is fabulous tasting if I do say so myself!
I have always wanted to try making jam, because I am an absolute jam addict, but am intimidated for some reason. This combo sounds out of this world and I would love to try it. My mom has canned a lot of jam, so I think I may have her do it with me when we move this summer to get over my fear!
You should! It’s a great little talent to have because you always know what to do with leftover fruit! You cook so well, I’m surprised that you didn’t already know how to do it! 🙂
I can’t wait to try your recipe! It looks yummy! I love the blue mason jars!
It’s really great! My mom and her friends have already eaten most of it up – topping ice cream with it!
I am new to the world of canning and preserving. From the deep south here in New orleans. Am So delighted to be your friend. Can’t wait to read your next blog 🙂
You will be great at it – it’s pretty easy. Since you live in NOLA and it’s even more humid there than it is here – I recommend that if you are going to use pectin, use the powdered kind. I had real trouble with the liquid kind here and finally decided it was because of the humidity in the hot summer.
I love New Orleans, our son (Lawyer Boy who is getting married Saturday) lived in Lafayette, LA one summer while he was doing an internship. We came down on several ocassions and always spent time in NOLA because I spent many times there when I was a kid. Jazz Fest was just over, no? I’ve been to a few of those too! Thanks for dropping by and please come again – good luck!
Those are super cute
I thought they were too! Thank you for dropping by and please come again. Good luck!
I love these jars! Have alot of the older one,
I love them too! We made lemonade yesterday and I swear it looked so pretty in the glasses I almost didn’t want to drink it – but of course I did! Thank you for dropping by and please come again. Good luck!
I’d love to win those canning jars. I enjoy canning, but have never experimented. I want to try your Chocolate Pear Jam recipe. I wondered if you had ever made a Chocolate Raspberry Jam; and if so, would you share that recipe. Thanks.
Thank you so much for dropping by and please come again! No, I have not made chocolate raspberry, however, I have plans to make chocolate raspberry, chocolate strawberry, and chocolate orange marmalade this summer. Lucky for me I worked up some oranges when they were in season during the winter. I will most certainly share the recipe as soon as I make them each! Good luck!
Pick me!! Pick ME!! They would look absolutely AMAZING up on my baker’s rack!! I already have the beans and rices and pasta to fill and use them immediately!! C’mon, Kalamitykelli–my baker’s rack is CRYING for these!!! 😀 Who knows… maybe I’ll even start canning again!! All it takes is a little motivation!! Hope you’re having a GREAT day!!
~MeBeeRee (aka: Karla Hofmann)
Oh Karla – you make me laugh! Look at you getting in 3 hours before the pickin’ begins! 🙂 I wish you the best of luck my friend – KK
Love your blog! I haven’t had a chance to try this recipe yet, but will most definitely be making it soon! I am going to look at our Walmart to see if they have these gallon jars and get me some……love, love, love them!
The blue jars are most definitely beautiful! My daughter is getting married in September and wants blue jars as her center pieces……..I’m not sure that is going to happen…….but thank you for a chance at them and for a great blog! God Bless!
Thank you so much Cathy – for ALL the compliments! I believe you will be able to begin finding the jars (I would go quick) on June 7 – 8 at all the stores I mentioned. They come in packs of 6 so depending on how many tables she has….:) I know you will find the big ball canisters jars – I bet they even have them on Jarden.com where you can pre-order the blue ball jar packs as well.