Pear perfection?

Judd planted 2 pear trees in the front yard years ago.   They've gotten bigger and greener over the years but not very prolific. We finally got about one pear last year.  This year, they're falling off one of the trees before we can pick them.  Don't know why the other tree doesn't have fruit--maybe it's the boy. Today, Malindi and I decided we'd better do something with the fruit, quick, before they all rot in the grass.  We made jam and cake and dried fruit so Judd will get a taste of fall harvest when he returns from the South. For all the blemished spots on the peel, they were lustrous, juicy white on the interior. We washed and peeled and diced and boiled and sugared, boy did we sugar! The Certo pectin instruction sheet has so many capital letters and underscores on DO NOT REDUCE THE SUGAR that they absolve themselves of any failed gelling. The oven-dried dehydrated slices  are coming along, but after 14 hours, they're still not the crisps I imagined.  They're more like pear leather.