Add all of the ingredients to a heavy dutch oven and stir to combine. Bring the contents to a boil, reduce heat and cover with a tight fitting lid to simmer until the pears are quite soft and breaking down. About 45 minutes to one hour, perhaps longer if your pears are particularly hard. Stirring occasionally.
Transfer the pears and their liquid to a food processor or blender and puree.
Transfer the pureed pears back to the dutch oven and return to a slow simmer over medium low to medium heat. Rest the lid on the pot so it's slightly askew and steam can escape. Cook for an additional 45 minutes to 1 1/2 hours until the pear butter is thick and most of the liquid has evaporated, leaving a thick jam in the pot.
You can tell when it's done by running a wooden spoon across the bottom of the dutch oven, exposing the bottom of the pan. When the pear butter doesn't immediately fill the gap and takes several seconds to fill in the exposed part of the dutch oven, it's ready.
FOR THE INSTANT POT:
Add all of the ingredients to the instant pot. Set the pressure cooker to 20 minutes at high pressure. After the pears have been cooked, let the pressure release naturally.
Transfer the pears to a food processor or blender and pulse until pureed and smooth. Transfer the pears to a heavy pot or dutch oven and heat over medium heat until the pears start to simmer and splutter. Reduce the simmer to low, cover the pot with the lid so that steam can still escape. Simmer for 45 minutes to 1 1/2 hours or until most of the liquid has evaporated and a thick jam has formed.
You can tell when it's done by running a wooden spoon across the bottom of the dutch oven, exposing the bottom of the pan. When the pear butter doesn't immediately fill the gap and takes several seconds to fill in the exposed part of the dutch oven, it's ready.
STORING PEAR BUTTER:
Let the pear butter cool to room temperature and transfer it to a storage container with a tight fitting lid. Pear butter must be refrigerated unless you're following traditional canning methods.