Rosemary Pear Butter - cooking recipe

Ingredients

4 lbs ripened pears
2 cups apple cider
1 cinnamon stick, split lengthwise
1/2 cup honey (local, wildflower)
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
1 drop fresh lemon juice (optional)

Preparation

Peel & chop pears, placing in water so they don't dry out.
Drain well and place in a large, heavy Dutch oven. Add cider so that it just covers fruit. Place cinnamon stick pieces beneath surface of cider. Simmer 30 minutes until tender.
Preheat oven 300\u00b0F Remove cinnamon & set aside.
Puree pears with liquid in blender or food processor until as smooth.
Transfer pureed pears to large, heavy baking dish.
Mix in honey, rosemary, & cinnamon.
Bake 2-3 hours, stirring occasionally, till sauce is thickened, bubbling, and dark brown around edges.
Add single drop of lemon juice (any more would be overpowering).
Cool completely.
For Canning: Reheat until simmering & ladle into hot sterilized jars. Process according to standard canning methods.
For Freezing: Divide cooled mixture into plastic containers & refrigerate or freeze.