Pickled Pears

It was my friend Tom Coward, head gardener at Gravetye Manor hotel and restaurant in Sussex, who first introduced me to this lovely preserve. He came for dinner one night with a homemade jar of them and it was love at first taste. There are lots of recipes for pickled pears, but some take up to a week to prepare. This version can be made in an evening, and I have found the results to be just as good, although they are best left for a month before eating so that the flavours can really penetrate the fruit. Use pears that still have some bite, but not so much that you cannot get your teeth into them, and make sure you reduce the liquid well to intensify the flavour.

MAKES 3 450g jars x

900g pears, peeled, cored and sliced 425ml apple cider vinegar

450g caster sugar

1 cinnamon stick

10 cloves

Thumb-size piece of stem ginger, sliced

Put all the ingredients into a pan with 850ml water and cook slowly until the pears start to soften, but only just (about 10 minutes) – you want them to retain a bit of bite. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the pears to a colander and set aside to drain.

Meanwhile, increase the heat under the syrup left in the pan and boil rapidly for 15 mins, or until it has reduced by about a third and thickened slightly.

Pack the fruit into warm, sterilised jars and pour in enough hot syrup to cover the pears. Seal immediately and store for a month before eating.