Ingredients
1 cinnamon stick (3 inches)4-5 star anise points (about 1/2 whole)5 pounds pears, peeled and chopped (about 12 cups)1 cup packed light brown sugar1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
Preparation
Place spices on a double thickness of cheesecloth. Gather corners of cloth to enclose spices; tie securely with string. In a 5- or 6-qt. slow cooker, toss remaining ingredients. Add spice bag, covering with pears.
Cook, covered, on low 5-6 hours or until pears are tender. Remove spice bag.
Puree pear mixture using an immersion blender. Or, cool slightly and puree mixture in a blender in batches; return to slow cooker.
Cook, uncovered, on high 1-2 hours or until mixture is thickened to desired consistency, stirring occasionally. Store cooled pear butter in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 1 week.
