Jullienned Pear with Vanilla Jam

This was my first jam experience and my mother helped me through it. It was much simpler than I expected and rewardingly delicious. This recipe is from Christine Ferber's Mes Confitures.

Ingredients

• 2 3/4 lbs. (1.2 kg) William or Bartlett pears, ripe but still firm
• 3 3/4 (800 g) granulated sugar
• 7 oz (200 g) Green Apple Jelly
• Juice of 1 small lemon
• 2 vanilla beans

Peel the pears, remove their stems, core them, halve them, and cut them into thin julienne. In a preserving pan, combine the pears, sugar, lemon juice, and vanilla beans, split lengthwise. Bring this to a simmer. Pour into a ceramic bowl. Cover the fruit with a piece of parchment paper and refrigerate overnight.

Next day, bring the mixture to a boil in a preserving pan. Skim. Add the apple jelly, return to a boil, and continue cooking on high heat for about 5 minutes, stirring gently. Skim again if need be. Remove the vanilla beans and divide pieces of them among the jars. Return to a boil. Check the set. Put the jam into jars immediately and seal.