Preserved Pears

History

This preserved-pears recipe is printed in the Preserves chapter of Mary Randolph's The Virginia House-Wife, an 1824 housekeeping manual and cookbook. As printed, the recipe states that small pears are better for preserving than large ones; the pears are pared and a syrup is made with their weight of sugar and a little water; the stem is left on and a clove is stuck in the blossom end of each; and they are stewed until perfectly transparent. The Virginia House-Wife is considered the first regional American cookbook. Beyond the recipe as it appears in this 1824 book, the historical record consulted here does not document a specific origin, social meaning, or geographic lineage for this dish. Earlier claims — that the clove marked the dish as a status symbol, or that the method descends from Roman "conditura" or Mediterranean fruit-in-honey preserving — are not supported by any source located about this particular recipe, and are omitted.

Ingredients

• small pears
• sugar
• water
• 1 clove

Instructions

1. The small pears are better for preserving than large ones.
2. Pare them, and make a syrup with their weight of sugar and a little water.
3. Leave the stem on, and stick a clove in the blossom end of each.
4. Stew them till perfectly transparent.