Pear ideas

[lucysmum]

Does any one have any good ideas for pears, jams, chutneys etc. If I don't do something soon, the birds will have more than me!

[Nature's Babe]

Pear and almond tart is delicious.
http://smittenkitchen.com/2008/02/pear-and-almond-tart/
Spiced pear butter
and Pears in red wine
http://www.eatlocalchallenge.com/2007/0 ... pears.html

Was going to make the tart for dessert tomorrow, The pears are huge this year.

[lucysmum]

Thank you Natures babe, will give them a go.

[Nature's Babe]

We had the pear and almond tart for dessert today, it got my partners seal of approval - he came back for second helpings ! It's quite rich, one slice was plenty for me.

[Chantal]

You could try this

Pear and Apple Chutney
Make the most of autumn fruit with Ed Baines’s spiced fruit chutney, delicious served with cheese and cold meats
Servings: Makes approx 750ml chutney
Level of difficulty: Intermediate
Preparation Time: 30 minutes
Cooking Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
Ingredients
6 Pears, cored and cubed
3 medium apples, cored and cubed
1 large onion, finely chopped
10 cherry tomatoes, quartered
400g brown sugar
150g sultanas
75g Dried apricots, chopped
500ml Cider vinegar
250ml still cider, or dry white wine
1 tbsp grain mustard
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
half tsp ground cinnamon
half tsp ground cardamom
1 tsp dried sage
1 tsp dried oregano
Method
1. Place all the chutney ingredients in a large stainless-steel saucepan. Cook gently over a very low heat, stirring often, until all the sugar has dissolved.

2. Continue to simmer, stirring now and then, for around 1 and a half hours, by which time the mixture should have thickened.

3. Spoon the chutney into warm sterilized jars, seal with vinegar-proof tops and store in a cool dark place. Stored this way it should keep for up to 6 months. Once opened, however, it should be refrigerated and consumed quickly.

or

Spiced Pickled Pears
Pears in a mild spicy pickle make a wonderfully new and different accompaniment to Christmas cold cuts or, if you warm them through slightly, they are magic with either a roast duck or a goose. They look very pretty and appealing, too, as they turn a lovely amber colour and make an excellent home-made Christmas gift. If you want to make more, simply double or treble the recipe and so on, remembering that 2 lb (1 kg) pears fills a 1 litre jar.

Makes a 1 litre jar
Ingredients
2 lb (1 kg) Conference pears (pick out the hardest, smallest ones you can find)
12 oz (350 g) soft light brown sugar
10 fl oz (275 ml) white wine vinegar
10 fl oz (275 ml) cider vinegar
3 inch (7.5 cm) cinnamon stick, broken into 3 pieces
½ lemon, cut into thin slices
½ level teaspoon whole cloves
1 level teaspoon juniper berries
1 level dessertspoon mixed pepper berries
You will also need a 1 litre jar with a glass or plastic lid (vinegar corrodes metal).

Start off by putting all the ingredients except the pears in a large saucepan and place it on a low heat, allowing it to come slowly to the boil. Give everything a whisk round from time to time to dissolve the sugar crystals. While that's happening, peel the pears. They need to be pared very thinly (forgive the pun). This means using either a very sharp knife or, best of all, a really good potato peeler. Take off all the peel but leave the stalks and the base florets intact. As you peel each pear, plunge it into a bowl of cold water. Then, after peeling them, check that the sugar has completely dissolved into the vinegar, drain the pears and add them to the saucepan. Bring everything up to a gentle simmer and let the pears cook for about 20 minutes or until they look slightly transparent and feel tender when tested with a small skewer.
In the meantime, the jar should be washed thoroughly in warm, soapy water, rinsed, dried and heated in a moderate oven for 5 minutes. Then, using a draining spoon, transfer the pears and slices of lemon to the clean jar. Now boil the syrup furiously for about 5 minutes until it's reduced to about 15 fl oz (425 ml) and pour in enough to fill the jar right up to its neck and completely cover the pears. Then scoop out the spices and add them to the jar as well. Any leftover syrup can be discarded. Cover and seal the jar and, when the contents are completely cold, wipe and label it and store it in a cool dark place for about 1 month before using. The pears will keep well for 6 months.

[lucysmum]

They sound yummy, thank you. I have all my friends saving jars for me.