Brandied Vanilla Pear Jam
Recipe from Lucy Baker, description from Serious Eats

For pear lovers, this jam is a must. What I like best about this jam is that it cooks very quickly, so the pears retain their bright, succulent flavor. A small amount of sugar sweetens it up without making it taste candy-like or cloying. The brandy adds just a faint, boozy note that reminds me of a delicious eau de vie, and the vanilla seeds add spicy warmth and look absolutely gorgeous in the jar.

It combines juicy, mildly floral Bartlett pears with the seeds of a vanilla bean and generous pour of brandy. Try it with a cheese plate, or use it to dress up slices of simple gingerbread or pound cake.

This recipe is adapted from Serious Eats. This verions is from another web site.

1 1/2 cups sugar
3 teaspoons Pomona’s Universal Pectin
4 cups coarsely chopped or pureed pears (from about 7 medium ripe pears-any variety)
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 cup brandy
1/2 vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped
4 teaspoons calcium water (included in the Pomona’s box, you’ll need to make in advance)
1/2 teaspoon unsalted butter (can be left out for vegan option)

Combine the sugar and pectin in a medium bowl and mix together.

Combine the pears, lemon juice, calcium water, brandy, and the vanilla bean and seeds in a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan (dutch oven works great for this) and bring to a boil over medium heat. Stir frequently. If, like me, you’re impatient during prep and don’t want to puree the pears beforehand, this is a good time to get your potato masher or immersion blender and have at it.

Add the sugar-pectin mixture and the butter. Return the mixture to a full rolling boil on high heat. Boil for one minute.

BEWARE: Following this minute, you’ll want to stir the jam before you jar it up. This is when it burps and spits hot jam everywhere. Use caution and pull it off the heat for a minute or so before stirring. Go slowly, and it probably wouldn’t hurt to don an apron at this point.

Ladle the hot jam into warm clean jars (I leave my empty jars on the stovetop while cooking so they stay warm after I wash them), leaving 1/4-inch headspace. Wipe rims of the jars with a damp clean towel, cover jars with clean DRY lids, and screw bands on until just barely tight.