West Virginia Pear Jam without Pectin

I am still resisting going out into the garden to do some serious work after a long summer hiatus.  I did go out early yesterday morning to clear some sweet potato vine from the fringe of the woods.  My feet got wet; my garden gloves got soaking wet; and the sweat was running down my back.  The humidity was higher than the temperature.  Dark clouds were nearing and so was the thunder.  The sun was still shining but it was time to go inside.

Orr's Farm Market

We expanded our recent trip to include the 1,000 acre Orr's Farm Market in West Virginia, just a few miles north of Winchester VA and off I-81.

This is one huge farm providing fruits and vegetables for the local community since 1954. Tourists have also found their way to the Farm. This time peaches, plums, apples, and pears were ready for harvesting.

The farm is situated in the valley between the Blue Ridge and Appalachian Mountains. It is fantastic to see such an abundance of fruit in one place.  The fruit and vegetables are picked for you but berries are available for your own picking.

Pear Jam

Today I removed the seeds from five (5) medium sized pears and finely chopped the pears to measure four (4) cups.  I preferred to leave the skin on the pears.

I combined the chopped pears with two (2) cups of sugar and let it come to a boil, stirring often.  Once the sugar was dissolved, I let it simmer for about 40 minutes. I kept on stirring often while simmering.

It is easy to double this recipe or even triple it. Adding some cinnamon pieces and a few whole cloves will give the jam an interesting taste.

Finally,I poured the hot jam into clean jars and sealed the them with hot wax.


There is no doubt that I have left a bit of myself in the mountains of Wild Wonderful West Virginia with its kind people, beautiful scenery, flora and fauna.

Thank you for visiting my blog.  

Have a great weekend.