The Student Life Department is always on the look out for new experiences for our students, we believe that the more diverse experiences we can provide, the more well rounded individuals they will become. To that end, Residential Life Administrator, Ron Danuser recently reintroduced an activity that he originally introduced some twenty plus years ago, making and canning Spiced Pear Butter. The goal being to give the students an experience they’d never had before, teaching them about the “farm-to-table” ideology, and cooking techniques to not only make the pear butter but also how to preserve it without refrigeration. All the while instilling in them a sense of pride in their creation and having a delicious end product they could share with their families at Thanksgiving and Christmas. Two pear trees were located in Fulton and after gaining permission from the owners, the students were able to pick pears straight from the tree, something none of them had ever done before. From there the students sorted and washed the pears, then cored and chopped them into quarters. Next, they cooked the pears until soft, keeping a close eye on them so they didn’t burn, then ran them through a hand cranked food mill, which eliminated any stray seeds and skins from the pears. With the applesauce like product produce from the food mill, the students cooked it adding orange zest, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, a bit of orange juice, and a lot of sugar. They cooked this down until thick enough to “stand on a spoon” then canned it, using jars they sterilized in a water bath. After carefully removing the jars from the boiling water they were set aside and with the lids, once the pear butter was added they checked to ensure good seals on the jars. This took a week full of nights to process the pears and the students did a remarkable job of paying attention to details, following instructions, and eventually showing they could do each step on their own. While it was long hours of work the students found it fun and rewarding and the conversations and comradery were priceless. Those students who helped are eager for their next grand experience in the kitchen.