Thursday 28 October 2010

Preparations for Christmas

Spiced Christmas Pears
It is the time to start preparing for Christmas, and as we have a pear tree in the garden I decided to make this preserve which is apparently very nice served sliced with cold meats and cheese.

Spiced Christmas Pears
900g pears
600ml white wine vinegar
225g caster sugar
1 cinnamon stick
5 star anise
10 whole cloves
Makes 900g
  1. Peel the pears but keep them whole leaving the stalks on. Heat the vinegar and sugar, stirring until the sugar has melted. Pour over the pears, poaching for 15 minutes.
  2. Add the cinnamon, star anise and cloves and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove pears and pack tightly into sterilized jars. Simmer the syrup for a further 15 minutes and then pour over the pears so that the cloves and star anise are packed tightly with the pears. Seal the jars tightly and store in a cool, dark place. 
The pears will keep for up to one year unopened. Once opened, store in the fridge and consume within one week. 

These will make a pretty foodie gift at Christmas, just make sure you have the will power not to gobble them before it's time.





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