FENNEL, PEAR & PEPPER PRESERVES
1½ lbs fennel bulbs with fronds 3 pears, cored and diced into ¼" pieces 1½ cups water 1½ cups freshly squeezed orange juice 1 cup green Kasmiri or golden raisins, chopped ⅓ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice 1 tbsp orange zest 1 tsp coarsely ground black pepper 5 cups granulated sugar ¼ cup mild honey Place a plate in the freezer for a set test (see page 108) and sterilize your jars. Peel and core the fennel bulbs. Slice the bulbs lengthwise and stalks crosswise into thin strips, reserving the fronds separately. You should have about 5 cups of sliced fennel bulb and stem and 1 packed cup of fronds. In a large stock or heavy-bottomed pot, combine the fennel, pears, water, juices, raisins, zest and pepper. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil over medium-high heat and cook until the fennel is tender but still firm, about 15 minutes; turn off the heat and gradually stir in the sugar and honey until they are completely dissolved.
Return the fennel mixture to a boil over medium-high heat and let it cook for 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and test for a set using the chilled plate. If it hasn’t reached its setting point, continue to cook the mixture for another 5 to 7 minutes, then test again.
When the preserves pass the set test, ladle into hot sterilized jars and position the lids and rings and heat-process for 10 minutes and store.