Place the fruit pieces into a big jam cooking pot and add in the sugar.
Slit open a vanilla bean and scratch out with a butter knife or small spoon the vanilla bean paste.
Add the paste and the whole vanilla bean to the pot with the other ingredients and mix it all well.
Keep the pot with the fruits on the stove, cook on slow heat for about 45 mins, while stirring frequently, until you can see a rolling boil.
Keep cooking pear preserves until it has visibly reduced and appears translucent.
Test if the jam is set with a candy thermometer. The setting temperature is 210° Fahrenheit or 105° Celsius. Or drop some of the preserve on a cold plate or spoon and if it's not running it is set. If it runs, keep the jam for some more time to cook on low heat and repeat the test until you have the correct consistency.
Take out the vanilla bean and discard.
Reduce jam to a smoother consistency with a hand blender. I like to keep a few fruit pieces to give the jam some character.
Pour hot jam into clean sterilized jars and fill up to the rim.
Drop some vodka or rum into the lid to kill further bacteria. (optional)
Close the jar with the lid and turn upside down to create a vacuum.
Allow the jam to cool down, label and store in a cool and dry place.
Notes
You can use other pear varieties too. for example Royal Riviera Pear variety.
1 serving = 1 Teaspoon. 70 servings comes to about 3 Jars.