Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Late Summer Goodness

I discovered a couple of years ago that I love to can things! Canning is actually quite fun. Hard work, but in the end, you are left with wonderful treats to enjoy all winter long. I had great success with apple pie filling and though the birds, bugs and worms kept the apples for themselves this year, the cows were kind enough to leave the pears for me!
My last foray into canning pears was a sugar laden mess! One batch did not set, and the other set like concrete. So this year, I decided to go back to basics with a vintage recipe for pear chutney. I love vintage cookbooks and the simplicity of the recipes and ingredients. In this case, I used the vintage recipe as a base for forming my own "vintage inspired" pear chutney recipe. Unlike my previous pear venture, I am very happy to say that tradition paid off and the chutney is a savory success! It is a simple recipe and makes a wonderful treat to share in a late summer gift basket!

"Vintage Inspired" Pear Chutney Recipe

8 lbs. ripe pears
1 jumbo purple onion
1 large clove of garlic
1 cup white raisins
1 cup raw honey
1 tbsp sea salt
1 tbsp ground ginger
2 tbsp mustard seed
1 tbsp turmeric
1 tsp hot pepper flakes
dash cayenne
1 qt. white vinegar
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Peel, core and dice pears
Peel and chop onion and garlic
Put pears, onion and garlic in large pot. Add remaining ingredients and cook until onions are translucent and mixture begins to thicken, roughly 2 hours, stirring often to prevent mixture from sticking. Ladle hot mixture into clean jars, seal and place in hot water bath for 5 minutes.

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Makes 5-6 pints.

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