Pear Vanilla Nutmeg Jam

With more of my lovely cooked pears, I whipped up a batch of this delicious jam.   The vanilla and nutmeg don't overwhelm the pear flavor.    That's important in a jam.     You don't want the embellishments to take over.

If the embellishments take over the substance then you end up with something akin to Lady Gaga and though that's entertaining and all, it's not something you want to sit down to the table with.

Substance before embellishment.

And in this jam, the embellishments embellish and the substance shines through.   

Jam as a metaphor for life.

Because this is an all purpose blog.

Pear Vanilla Nutmeg Jam

• 4 cups cooked pears
• 1 vanilla bean split lengthwise [or 2 tablespoons vanilla extract]
• 1 tsp nutmeg
• 4 tablespoons Dutch Jell All Natural Lite pectin
• 2 cups sugar

Combine the pears, nutmeg, vanilla and pectin in a pot.   Add some extra cold water if your pears are too dry and you're afraid they'll burn.  Stir constantly.  Bring to a hard rolling boil that you can't stir down.   Boil one minute. Add sugar and return to hard rolling boil.   Take out vanilla bean.  Boil one minute.   Ladle into jars.

This jam was a huge hit with with my kid who only eats ''normal' jam, Mom'.   She licked the spoon and the spatula and the funnel and the pot.  Clean. 

Note:   Remember, pears in a can are cooked pears.  You can use them if you don't have 'fresh' ones.   Use unsweetened ones.