For canning:
8 c white sugar
4 c Apple Cider Vinegar
6 c water
8 sticks cinnamon
3 T whole cloves
1.6 oz fresh ginger (sliced, no need to peel)
About 45 pears (20-22 lbs), peeled, bad/soft parts cut out, cored/wedged, yielding 12.5 lb cut pieces.
Put 11 wide mouth pint jars in boiling water bath. Combine first 6 ingredients and boil syrup for 30 minutes in cheese pot, then strain out the spices. Then add the pear pieces and boil 5 minutes. Then use slotted spoon to fill one jar at a time and add syrup to ½ inch of top and put on lid. When all jars full, process in boiling water bath 15 minutes.
There will be lots of syrup left over, somewhat diluted by pear juice, but good enough to do another batch of canned pears. Or make uncanned pears with it (see below).
If not canning the pears:
Use leftover syrup from above, or make ¼ of the above syrup recipe.
About 7-12 Vicar pears, peeled, bad/soft parts cut out, cored/wedged, yielding 2.5-3.5 lb cut pieces.
Make syrup as above (boil 30 minutes, then strain), then boil pears 20 minutes in syrup. Cool and refrigerate. Eat within 10-14 days.