I don’t know what it is about the start of fall, but each and every year it reinvigorates my spirit, at least as far as the kitchen is concerned. I always feel an itch to get in there, windows flung open, music on blast, and whip up all sorts of delicious treats with the hope that the scent of nutmeg and cinnamon wafts through our entire home. My most recent concoction? This caramel cardamom pear jam. I’m not sure you could even consider it a recipe since it literally consisted of throwing a bunch of things into a pot and letting it cook down, but the results were absolutely out of this world. It’s like fall in a jar, and you need it in your life. It works beautifully paired with vanilla ice cream, atop a slice of homemade bread or, and most recently, generously scooped onto a slice of stinky cheese (um. YUM.) 
- 3 pounds of pears, half of them peeled, all of them chopped coarsely into 1/2" cubes
- 1 1/4 cups lightly packed brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- juice of one large lemon
- ¾ tsp. ground cardamom
- Toss the pears and sugar in a large, lidded, pot and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring frequently until sugar dissolves. Simmer, stirring often and mashing with a potato masher until softened and syruppy, around 45 minutes.
- Stir in the salt, lemon juice and cardamom, then simmer for 2 more minutes.
- Ladle into jars, let cool, add lids and enjoy!
- If you want to properly can your jam, I recommend reading Heartbeet Kitchen's tips here.
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