Preserved Pears With Pepper, Star Anise and Vanilla Syrup - lemons

Method

• Put a rack in a large stockpot, or line the pot with a folded kitchen towel.
• Fill with water and bring to a boil.
• Add 6 pint-size canning jars and boil for 10 minutes.
• Jars may be left in the warm water in the pot until ready to be filled.
• Alternatively, sterilize the jars by running them through a dishwasher cycle, leaving them there until ready to fill.
• Place canning rings in a small saucepan, cover with water and bring to a boil.
• Turn off the heat and add the lids to soften their rubber gaskets.
• Rings and lids may be left in the water until jars are filled.
• Fill a large bowl with cold water and add the lemon juice to keep the pears from browning.
• Peel, halve and core the pears, dropping them into the water as you go.
• Meanwhile, make the flavored syrup.
• Bring 8 cups of water and the sugar to a boil.
• Add anise, vanilla beans and peppercorns.
• Drain the pears and add to the boiling syrup.
• Boil for five minutes.
• Using a slotted spoon, divide pears between six jars.
• Remove the star anise and vanilla from the syrup, dividing them between jars.
• Ladle in hot syrup and peppercorns, leaving 1/2 inch of headspace.
• Run a plastic knife gently around the inside of jar to remove any air bubbles.
• Recheck the headspace.
• There may be extra syrup, but resist overfilling the jars.
• Wipe jar rims clean with a damp towel.
• Place the lids on the jars, screw on the rings and lower the jars back into the pot of boiling water.
• Return to a full boil and boil for 20 minutes.
• Transfer jars to a folded towel and let cool for 12 hours; you should hear them ping as they seal.
• Once cool, test the seals by removing rings and lifting jars by the flat lids.
• If a lid releases, the seal has not formed.
• Unsealed jars should be refrigerated and used within a month, or reprocessed.
• Rings and jars may be reused, but a new flat lid must be used each time.
• To reprocess, reheat syrup to boiling, add back pears, return to boiling, then continue as before.