Growing up, I loved pears. They were one of my favorite fruits apart from the quintessential Indian mangoes. The pears in India are quite different from the ones you get here in California. I was amazed by how many different varieties of pears there are in California, like the d’Anjou pear (green and red varieties), Bosc, Comice, Bartlett, and Asian pears. When I started my jam business, one of the flavors I sold was the Pear and Spice Jam. The pears need to be slightly, but not overly, soft and grainy. They need to be the right consistency when making the jam. I used star anise, cinnamon, and clove in the jam—​they work beautifully with the pear. It was my second most popular flavor—​people loved it. My favorite way to eat this jam is by putting spoonfuls of it on vanilla bean ice cream. Trust me, it is mindblowingly addictive! …