Hiya, Jberry, welcome to a4a ;D
sorry, can't help with the problems with your pears , what sort are they?
we peel our conference pears and cook in syrup with cinnamon, red wine or cider..can't help with amounts, I just chuck stuff together, we use those containers, like you get from the chippy, you can stack them 3 or 4 high in the freezer :)