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    Method

    • step 1

      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.

    • step 2

      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.

    • step 3

      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.

    Recipe from Good Food magazine, November 2004

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    Comments, questions and tips (30)

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    Overall rating

    A star rating of 4.8 out of 5.20 ratings

    natashakdyer99075

    question

    Hi, my pears are falling off the tree but they are still firm, can I make this recipe with them still hard(ish)? Also someone as recommended adding rosemary to the recipe sounds delicious - at what point do you add the rosemary to the recipe?

    goodfoodteam avatar
    goodfoodteam

    Hello, yes you can make the pickle with firm pears. Very firm pears will take longer to soften, so it might help to cut them into quarters or slices rather than halves. The rosemary would be added in step 1 with the rest of the aromatics. Thanks for your question - Good Food Team.

    montanagiirl58998

    question

    What is the shelf life?

    goodfoodteam avatar
    goodfoodteam

    Hi, thanks for your question. As long as they're put into a sterilised jar then they can be kept in a cool, dark place for up to 6 months. Once opened they should be kept in the fridge. We hope this helps. Best wishes, BBC Good Food Team.

    m.ogier

    question

    Can you use pears from the tree or do you have to ripen them first

    goodfoodteam avatar
    goodfoodteam

    Hi, thanks for your question. We haven’t tried making this with unripe pears but there a quite a few pickle recipes that do use unripe pears so you could certainly give it a try. You might want to cut them into slices rather than halves to increase the chance of them softening. We hope this helps.…

    ElizabellaRose

    question

    Can this be made with any other fruit? Apples, for examples?

    Stell avatar

    Stell

    question

    I cannot source any Allspice Berries, what can I use in it’s place and how much of it should I use?

    goodfoodteam avatar
    goodfoodteam

    Thanks for your question. As this recipe already contains cinnamon and cloves which combine to make a good alternative, we'd suggest adding a grating of nutmeg or simply leaving it out altogether.

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