Prepare the pears just before making the jam and immediately combine the crushed fruit with the lemon juice to prevent the pears from turning brown. A rapid boil is one in which the boiling water breaks the surface and one cannot stir it down.

Ingredients:
4 cups peeled, cored and crushed ripe pears, 3-1/2 to 4 pounds)
1/4 cup strained fresh lemon juice
7-1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon unsalted butter
1 (3-ounce) pouch liquid pectin

Directions:
In an 8-quart pan, combine the pears and lemon juice. Stir in about half the sugar. Cover the pan and let stand for 20 minutes.

Remove the cover. Stir in remaining sugar and butter. Over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, heat the mixture until the sugar dissolves completely. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring the mixture to full-rolling oil, stirring constantly. Remove the pan from the heat and skim off the foam.

Return the pan to the heat and bring the mixture to a full rolling boil. Stir in the entire contents of the pectin pouch. Return the mixture to a full rolling boil, stirring constantly, for one minute. Remove the pan from the heat. Skim off any foam.

To prevent the jam from separating in the jars, allow the jam to cool five minutes before filling the jars. Gently stir the jam every minute or so to distribute the fruit. Ladle the hot jam into hot jars, leaving one-fourth-inch head space. Wipe the jar with a clean, damp cloth.

Cover the jars with hot lids and apply screw rings. Process half-pint jars in a 200-degree water bath for ten minutes, pint jars for 15 minutes.

Recipe makes about eight, half-pint jars.

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