Tuesday, August 21, 2012

Spicy Pear Ginger Chutney





A dear friend of mine brought this over for a dinner gathering we had, serving it over cream cheese with crackers. It was AMAZING! I finally got the recipe from her and am cooking up my own batch to can today! My house at least smells like FALL even though it's 98 outside still!

Ingredients:

3 pounds (about 6 cups) hard, under-ripe pears, cored, seeded, and chopped. I did not peel them.
3 cups light or dark brown sugar
3 cups apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon mustard seeds
2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
1/4 pound crystallized ginger, chopped (about 2/3 cup)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon Quatre-Epices (Recipe below)
1 cup dark raisins
1 cup light raisins
2 cups chopped onion
1 lemon, peeled and thinly sliced

Directions:
Cook the pears in water to cover until they are medium-soft. Drain, saving the water, then make a syrup of the water in which the pears were cooked and the brown sugar by boiling in a large nonreactive pot until thick, about 20 to 30 minutes. While the syrup is boiling, add the remaining ingredients to the pears, then mix everything together and cook for about 30 minutes or until the raisins are softened, the onions are transparent, and the chutney has a good thick consistency. Transfer to sterilized jars and seal; process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes.

QUATRE-EPICES - "Four-spices" usually include four of five spices. I used all five. Vary the amounts to suit your own palate. 2 tablespoons (1/8 cup) ground white peppercorns 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves, 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon, and 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger. Store in a cool, and dry place.

Makes 5-6 pints.


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