We have a fairly good crop of pears this year. I was wondering if anybody had made pear butter with agave instead of sugar and if so if they had canned it. I've a little concerned about if it would keep that way.

can it like you would apple butter

I haven't canned with agave, but don't know any reason it wouldn't work...

I canned jam with agave and it kept throughout the year. I am on my last jar and it was fine.

As long as the acidity levels are high enough, you should be okay. Maybe add a little lemon juice to each batch. That will also help keep the sauce from getting too brown from oxidation.

Pears turn pink when you cook them for preserves - at least the golden ones do (bosc?).

Mmm this sounds really, really good!

You could even spice it...

Apple and pear BUTTER? that's something for me to look into later

Apple butter is like apple sauce, but thicker, and generally tastes more like apple cider, while apple sauce tastes like apple juice.

Does it need added sugar at all? I'll admit I've never made my own apple butter, but I have bought apple butter that was unsweetened. I also routinely buy jars of unsweetened apple sauce for the kids. I do understand that sugar helps to thicken cooked fruit mixtures, as well as acting as a preservative, but is it [i]really[/] needed if you can it properly?

No, you can make it without sugar. My mom used to cook apple butter in the slow cooker with the lid propped so the steam could escape. The sauce thickens naturally that way and no sugar needed, as the sugars in the fruit are concentrated by the long cooking process. It does turn the butter brown, but fruit butters are generally dark amber to dark brown in color anyway from the lengthy cooking.

Here's a good link to a no-sugar butter recipe:

http://theamericanhomemaker.blogspot.com/2008/10/canning-apple-butter-and-pears-no-sugar.html