The Preserver's Year

Seakay

Delia's spiced pickled pears are delicious:
http://www.deliaonline.com/recipes/type-of-dish/preserve/spiced-pickled-pears.html
Good for presents as well as the pantry!

stiltwalker

Hi there,

I've made a pear and apple jam, usual jam recipe/technique and added a little ground cinnamon, it's really yum - almost my fave jam I've made this year if the greengage one hadn't turned out so good it would have been top.

HTH

artichoke

well i have a pear and ginger chutney simmering away in the bottom oven.... it has now been simmering on very low for over 5 hours with no sign of thickening up :eek:

It is an aga style oven - so on very low 110 to 115 degrees..

The recipe did warn that it took about 5 hours - but mine has had that with no sign of thickening at all:eek:

It was an apple and ginger chutney recipe that i used but just substituted with pears....

do you think pears have less pectin that apples?

I will keep it in the bottom oven until i go to bed, ...

it does make the house smell yummy though..:rotfl:

art

marmiterulesok

Hi,
I think that pears have less pectin than apples,but making chutney is a different process to making jam.With jam you're looking for it to 'set'.With chutney it has to 'reduce' -you do this by cooking/simmering it with the lid off (I think).It'll reduce by evaporation.

TBH I don't think it'll matter if it takes a bit longer to reduce.It sounds yummy.

Penelope_Penguin

artichoke wrote: »

well i have a pear and ginger chutney simmering away in the bottom oven.... it has now been simmering on very low for over 5 hours with no sign of thickening up :eek:

do you think pears have less pectin that apples?

For chutney, pectin isn't an issue (that's a geling agent to make jam set ). You need to have chutney bubbling gently - I do mine on top on the Rayburn. Keep going, and eventually enough liquid will evaporate. It will also thicken slightly on cooling.

As this has fallen from the front page of OS, I'll add it to the seasonal preserving thread.

artichoke

ok - thanks for the info on the difference between jams and chutneys...

I usually make jam as that is what the kids will eat, but as these pears were an extra, that i had not expected to receive i decided to make chutney which is just for me as DH and kids don't like it...although i may give some as gifts if it tastes ok.

I left it in the simmering oven all night and it looks and smells fantastic..

I will put into jars later.

thanks

art

ampersand

I have been given 3.5lb of medlars, a fruit I have long wanted to try.

Fave use/ideas please?

Thankyou.
#########
Have googled HFW, which adds another ?.
Several of my medlars seem mushy, therefore in 'bletted' bliss? Further reading suggests bletting is a matter of taste - is it necessary?
I'm thinking that if I do leave them, I'll be losing some as they are not all at the same stage now.

downshifter

Have acquired a few pomegranates and wonder if there are any jam recipes around, having just finished all the wonderful damson jam. I've seen an American one which requires boiling as usual, then bottling, then keeping in fridge, which seems a bit belt, braces and chastity belt to me! Has anyone tried anything simpler?

Thanks

DS

kemo_2002

complete newbie to jam making, i really want to add them to hampers as well as marmelade ect - im trying to keep costs down but also want them to be tasty obviously. Ill admit i havnt read the whole thread but as usual xmas is fast approaching and im leaving things to late again!

has anyone got a easy fail safe recipies for me? or tips of keeping cost down??

Thankyou xxxxxxxxxx

marmiterulesok

ampersand wrote: »

I have been given 3.5lb of medlars, a fruit I have long wanted to try.

Fave use/ideas please?

Thankyou.
#########
Have googled HFW, which adds another ?.
Several of my medlars seem mushy, therefore in 'bletted' bliss? Further reading suggests bletting is a matter of taste - is it necessary?
I'm thinking that if I do leave them, I'll be losing some as they are not all at the same stage now.

I'd never heard of these before,so have looked them up.

What have you decided to make?I read that you can make a very nice spread similar to lemon curd.

I'd love to get my hands on this fruit now!