Many people have asked about our pear salsa recipe. It’s about time I share it!

Down in the tropics pears were very expensive and not readily available, yet here in the Gulf Coast, old sand pear trees are somewhat common. After hurricane Sally, two different people gave us a bunch of pears and we got to make our pear salsa again. I mentioned it on Instagram and in a video and requests for a recipe came in… so here goes!

David and Rachel’s Best Pear Salsa Recipe Ever

Some years ago we were looking for something to do with all the pears in our Tennessee yard.

We dried them, made pear sauce, made pear wine, canned pears in syrup… and yet, we still had more pears!

Then we came across a recipe for “pear salsa” online. The batch we first made was too sweet and mild, but we made some changes and tried again, tweaking and remaking it over multiple batches to suit our spicier palates.

Now, 15 years later, we have no idea what happened to the site we found that original recipe on, but it launched something great. What it’s evolved into is really, really good and has become a favorite among our circle of friends.

If you have extra pears, your family and friends will love this tangy-sweet, spicy-savory salsa. It’s like nothing else you’ve ever had and is instantly addicting, despite the strange combination of ingredients.

Recipe:

3 Cups chopped onions
1 Cup chopped garlic
4 Cups chopped Red Bell Peppers
4 Cups chopped jalapenos
5 quarts chopped hard pears
3 cups sugar
4 Tbsp salt
2 tsp mustard seeds
1-2 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp cayenne pepper
A few cups of white vinegar. (For extra flavor, add apple cider vinegar as well.)

Add everything to a big pot and bring to a boil. Simmer for 15 minutes, until the pears start to soften up. Season to taste – seasonings are approximate. If you like it spicier, chop and add a few habaneros or more cayenne pepper.

Transfer boiling salsa to canning jars and can. We can in a boiling water bath canner for 20 minutes.

Recipe makes roughly 10 pints of salsa.

Serve with tortilla chips. Pear salsa is also great on pork chops.

“Pears in Her Salsa” by David The Good and the Gulf Coast Pickers

As a bonus, I wrote a song to go along with our pear salsa recipe. You can download it here for just $0.99!

And if you’d like to play along, here are the chords and lyrics:

GG
I met her at a picnic
C                                        G
On the great big old green lawn
D
Out behind the Elberta Baptist Church

G
It wasn’t her gray eyes
C                               G
Or the pigtails in her hair
D                                       G
That trapped my poor heart from the first

C                            G
It was the pears in her salsa
C                                         D
Why didn’t she use tomatoes instead?
G                                C
It was the pears in her salsa
G                           D                             G
That just made me go and lose my head

G
They say her momma told her
C                                  G
The way to catch a man
G
Was to shake down some good sand pears
D
And learn just how to can

G                                             C                            G
Garlic, onions, peppers – sugar and some spice

Give that salsa to your beau
D
And you’re bound to be his wife

C                       G
It was the pears in her salsa
C                           D
Why didn’t she use tomatoes instead?
G                             C
It was the pears in her salsa
G                               D                       G
That just made me go and lose my head

Am
She dragged me down the aisle
G Em
I couldn’t help myself
Am
And every single year
C D
She stocked our pantry shelf
Am
You’re the sweetest pair of lovers
G Em
Everyone would say
Am
But in truth I only loved the pears
C D
She made her special way

C G
It was the pears in her salsa
C D
Why didn’t she use tomatoes instead?
G C
It was the pears in her salsa
G D G
That just made me go and lose my head

(SOLO)

G C G
40 years later, the kids were grown and gone
D
Got nothing in common, so why’d I stay so long?
G
She sees the look I give her,
C G
And leaves her rocking chair

And I know she’s headed
D
Round the house to pick more pears

C G
It was the pears in her salsa
C D
Why didn’t she use tomatoes instead?
G C
It was the pears in her salsa
G D G
That just made me go and lose my head

C G
It was the pears in her salsa
C D
Why didn’t she use tomatoes instead?
G C
It was the pears in her salsa
G D G
That just made me go and lose my head

Finally, you can see the video where we make pear salsa here: