Steam canning is not a process I use myself, so I am not best at advising on it, but I'd expect it to be the same as you would allow for other jams.

Vanilla paste is similar to extract, but it's thicker and made with a sweet syrup so it works well when you want the vanilla flavor but not the sometimes more harsh alcohol flavor that you can get with extract. You could certainly use the seeds from a vanilla pod in stead, or extract would also work just maybe use slightly less to limit the other flavor coming through.

Yes, so the water bath ensures there is a stronger seal to make it more shelf-stable. The reasons I haven't included that here are that it's a small batch, and so it would be rare to need this step since most people will easily get through it storing in the fridge, plus it's a lower sugar jam that I tend to be less sure about trying to store a long time. You certainly could do this, especially if making a larger batch, but as I say for a small amount to use there and then, fridge storage is sufficient.

So glad to hear you have been enjoying - I agree it does have such a lovely flavor.

I haven't tried but it should work - just make sure you only use the pears themselves and not the liquid in the can. Canned pears are often softer and so would break down quicker. This means the jam may cook quicker, though there may be more liquid to reduce. They are typically canned in a kind of syrup which can make the pears sweeter, so you may not need quite as much sugar.

Can I use canned pears

Yes, that should work (though flavor may not be quite as good), or you can also skip it.

Glad to hear you enjoyed! And yes, much like making chutney I agree.

Thank you! Please disregard my second post to you with the same question! I thought the first one didn't go through for some reason!

So a couple things - making a larger quantity of any jam will always take longer. It's worth using a wider pot if you can, to get a larger surface area to help it both have more area heated to warm up and also reduce down a little quicker. On this jam in particular, pears are relatively low in natural pectin so this jam tends to be on the runnier side anyway. If you want it a little thicker, and particularly since you are planning to make more, then it may be worth using a little added pectin to help it thicken a little more. Hope you enjoy!

So glad you like it, and hope the family does too!

Thank you!

It may have been that your pears were pretty juicy, which can happen both depending on how ripe they are and different varieties (plus just generally). The easiest way to resolve this is just to simmer it, uncovered, for a bit longer to reduce down the liquid. You could also add a little more lemon to help increase the pectin level slightly.

It should probably work fine, the main thing with unripe pears is they tend not to have such a good flavor, but maybe if they've been hanging around refusing to ripen they might still have developed enough.

Thanks, it's really tasty!

Indeed, it really is! If you enjoy pears then yes, definitely give this one a try.

Thanks, I really think it adds that little something special too.