A modified supermarket recipe from a friend of mine - spicy pear chutney.

I threw in some ground cinnamon, cloves, plum tomatoes and cashew nuts. I didn't have star anise. Would probably reduce the sugar a bit if I made it again, because it's quite sweet.

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Cooking time: 1 hour 15 minutes

Total time: 1 hour 35 minutes    

Makes: 1kg (4 x 250ml jars)

Ingredients

1kg bag essential Waitrose Conference Pears

300g light muscovado sugar

500ml cider vinegar

2 medium red onions, roughly chopped

40g peeled, grated, fresh ginger

4 cloves garlic, minced

1½ tsp salt

250g pack Waitrose LOVE Life Cherries, Raisins & Nuts

2 cinnamon sticks

3 star anise

1 X ¼ tsp cayenne pepper

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C, gas mark 6. Put 4 x 250ml clean jars and lids on a baking tray and place in the middle of the oven for 10 minutes to sterilise. Remove the tray from the oven and set aside to cool.

2. Peel and core the pears then chop into rough chunks. In a large pan, bring the sugar and vinegar to the boil, then add the pears and the rest of the ingredients. Simmer over a low heat for 1 hour uncovered, or until thick and glossy.

3. Decant the chutney into the sterilised jars and screw the lids on. Allow to cool completely, then store in the fridge for up to 3 months.

Plum liqueur:

1. Place the vodka, plums and sugar in a large saucepan.

2. Bring to the boil and simmer until the sugar has dissolved. Allow to cool.

3. Transfer the vodka plum mixture into two bottles and store in a dark, cool place for 3 months.

4. Optional: Strain the plum vodka through muslin and bottle in 2 clean bottles; or keep plums in liqueur to make a compote.

INGREDIENTS

1 bottle of vodka

450 g plums, halved and stoned

225 g sugar

Elderberry wine; they are plentiful at the moment. It tastes better than it smells ;)

Ingredients:

1.5kg Elderberries.

1.5kg Sugar

1tsp Citric Acid.

4.5l Water

1 sachet of brewers Yeast and 1 teaspoon of Nutrient

Method:

Strip the berries from the stalks using a fork.

Crush them in a bowl and pour on the boiling water and add the sugar.

Let it cool to until warm (21 degrees approx) then add the yeast, nutrient and citric acid.

Loosely cover for 3 days and then decant into dark bottles (stops the wine losing its colour) and leave with either an air lock or cotton wool until the vigorous ferment has completed.

Once the ferment has completed siphon off into the final dark bottles to lay down for a minimum of 6 months.

Enjoy on its own or as an addition to a summer martini!

A great way to use up those pears!

Pear wine:

1. You will need a white 9 litre capacity plastic bucket with lid, wooden spoon, 2 x 4.5 litre glass demijohn, rubber bung (with hole), plastic air lock, plastic siphon tubing, sterilising powder, large plastic funnel, 2 x empty 2 litre screw top plastic bottles, 1 x empty 1 litre screw top plastic bottle.

2. Pour the boiling water over the pears, pressing well to extract the juice. Leave for 4-5 hours.

3. Add the pectic enzyme. Cover and leave for 4 days to infuse.

4. Strain the pears through muslin and pour the liquid through a large funnel, into the demijohn.

5. Add the sugar and lemon juice.

6. Add the yeast and yeast nutrient and fit the airlock. Keep in a warm room.

7. After about 7-10 days, when the wine begins to clear and the bubbles have slowed down, siphon the wine off the 'lees' (the debris in the bottom of the demijohn) into a clean demijohn.

8. After about another 3-4 days, when all fermentation has stopped (no more bubbles through the air-lock), siphon off the 'lees' into clean demijohn. Add a Campden tablet - Campden tablets are used to kill naturally occurring wild yeasts and undesirable bacteria.

9. Stopper the jar and leave in a cool place for a further 10 days. The wine should be clear.

10. Siphon the wine into clean empty plastic bottle and store in a cool place. The wine should be ready after about 3 months.

INGREDIENTS:

4.5 litres boiling water

1.8 kg pears

2 tsp pectic enzyme

900 g sugar

2 lemons, juice only

1x7 g sachet dried yeast

3 tsp yeast nutrient

1 campden tablet

I have just made some pear & lemon preserve for the 1st time, OMG it's lovely! Would be great used as a jam, or served with pork or Stilton.

Ingredients

2 kilos (4 and 1/2 pounds) of pears, peeled, cored and chopped

3 medium lemons (strained juice and zest)

1 kilo (5 and 1/4 cups) of granulated jam sugar

1 litre (4 and 1/4 cups) of water

Instructions

Prepare the pears and place in a large covered bowl, to stop them browning.

Remove the zest from the lemons carefully to avoid adding the bitter pith. Set zest aside.

Squeeze the lemon juice and strain.

Add the water, chopped pears, lemon zest and juice to a large heavy bottomed saucepan.

Simmer very gently until the pears are just soft.

Pour in the sugar and stir over a medium/low heat until the sugar is dissolved.

Bring the heat up to a rolling boil.

Allow to boil hard for ten minutes before testing for a set.

If it has not reached setting point (what is setting point? See Tricks and tips below) continue to boil rapidly, checking for a set every four minutes or so (set the timer for this).

When the jam has set remove from the heat.

Allow the jam to stand for a few minutes and pour into warmed sterilised jars (how do I sterilise jars? See Tricks and tips below).

Cover with screw top lids or wax disks and cellophane tops.

A recipe from a friend of mine.

Tuscan Rabbit Stew:

Flour the rabbit, fry till golden & put in pressure cooker. Add tomatoes thyme and garlic. Add white wine and balsamic vinegar and cook till tender.

Home made Rhubarb Crumble.

I have been adviced to try Rhubarb & Ginger Vodka a go next.

Any other suggestions would be welcomed.

Something to do with pears at this time of year.

Just about to make pear liqueur:

Ingredients

2 ripe pears,

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract or 1 prepared vanilla pod

1 cup brandy or vodka

1 cup sugar

1 cup water

1

Wash and chop one pear, discarding the seeds and core. Leave the skin on.

2

Place one chopped pear and the vanilla in a sealable glass jar and cover with brandy. The jar should have enough room to add another cup of liquid later in the process. Seal and shake, then let steep for 5 days.

3

Chop the second pear, discarding the seeds and core. Add it to a pot, along with the water and sugar, then stir and bring to a boil on medium heat, about 5 to 7 minutes. Reduce heat and simmer for an additional 5 minutes. Let the syrup mixture cool.

4

Once cooled, pour the syrup (with the fruit) into the steeping jar. Shake and let steep for 2 days. Taste, and if desired flavor is achieved, strain through a fine mesh strainer and then a coffee filter into a bottle or jar.

It's the time of year (late August to September) when the Damsons, sloes, blackberries, crab apples, rosehips and elderberries all become ready to pick

Between us we picked a bowl full of Hawthorns.

Here is how to make the Hawthorn Berry Jelly:

1/ Cover the hawthorn berries in water. Add water to the saucepan until it reaches the top of the berries in the pan.

2/ simmer them in the pan for about hour. Mushing them up occasionally with a potato masher.

3/ Drain the hawthorn berry mush into a bowl through several sheets of muslin, for several hour or even overnight. Do not squeeze or the jelly will be cloudy.

4/ Measure the liquid/ juice that you manage to obtain and then add 7 parts sugar to 10 parts juice.

5/A the juice of a lemon.

6/ Place the lot in a pan and then bring it up to a rolling boil.

7/ Boil for around 20-30 minutes, removing the scum that forms at the top regularly. If you don't remove the scum, the jelly will be cloudy.

8/ After about 15-20 minutes. Dip a spoon in and then place the spoon in a cool place. If the liquid sets on the spoon, it is ready.

9/Pour the liquid into a clean sterilised jar and place it in the fridge to set.

10/Try on toast instead of jam, it's delicious.

You can strain the pulp through a fine sieve, if you don't mind the Jelly being cloudy. It makes the process quicker.

Ingredients:

A bowl of Hawthorns

A Lemon (juiced)

Sugar

Water

I followed my method for Crab Apple Jelly. Please have a look at this post, if you want more detail.

Enjoy!