Pickled pears

30-60 minutes allspice cider cinnamon clove cloves indulgent lemon lemons pear pears pickled pears root ginger

N/A

Makes enough to fill a 1-1.5 litre kilner jar

Source

Ingredients

1 lemon or orange

10 cloves

2 tsp black peppercorn , lightly crushed

1 tsp allspice berries, lightly crushed

5 cm piece fresh root ginger , sliced

1 litre/1¾ pints cider or white wine vinegar

2 cinnamon sticks

1kg bag caster sugar

2kg small pears

Method

Pare the zest from the lemon or orange and put in a pan with the cloves, peppercorns, allspice berries, root ginger, lemon or orange juice, vinegar, cinnamon sticks and sugar. Stir over a gentle heat until the sugar has dissolved.

Peel, core and halve the pears, then add to the pan and simmer for 15 mins, until the pears are tender. Remove the pears with a slotted spoon and put in a colander to drain. Meanwhile, increase the heat under the syrup and boil rapidly for 15 mins, until the syrup has reduced by about a third and slightly thickened.

Pack the fruit into warmed jars and pour over the hot syrup to cover. Seal, label and store in a cool dry place for a month before using.