Enjoy these spiced pears with cold meats, cheeses, savoury tarts or pies, topped with a little of their syrup.
1 lemon or orange
10 cloves
2 tsp black peppercorns, lightly crushed
1 tsp allspice berries, lightly crushed
5cm/2in piece fresh root ginger, sliced
1 litre/1¾ pints cider or white wine vinegar
2 cinnamon sticks
1kg/2lb 4oz bag caster sugar
2kg/4lb 8oz small pears
Takes 45 minutes, plus a month storing • Makes enough to fill a 1–1.5 litre kilner jar
1 Pare the zest and squeeze the juice from the lemon or orange. Put in a pan with the cloves, peppercorns, allspice, root ginger, vinegar, cinnamon sticks and sugar. Stir over a gentle heat until the sugar has dissolved.
2 Peel, core and halve the pears, then add to the pan and simmer for 15 minutes, 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 minutes, until the syrup has reduced by about a third and slightly thickened.
3 Pack the fruit into warmed, sterilized jars and pour over the hot syrup to cover. Seal, label and store in a cool, dry place for a month before using.
• Per jar 4553 kcals, protein 6g, carbohydrate 1203g, fat 2g, saturated fat none, fibre 22g, added sugar 1002g, salt 0.74g