Looking for a recipe for...

[Mrs Ava]

bottled pears.  The inlaws have given me a carrier full, and I want to bottle some, however, I don't know if I should do them the same as soft fruit, or different!  Have googled, but can't find a recipe.  Any ideas anyone?

[Mrs Ava]

[tim]

Dessert pears?

Cookers are not much cop.

I'll give you the HMSO GUIDE?

[Mrs Ava]

They are quite floury Tim, a little underipe, but sweet and tasty.  Not very attractive as the skins have some sort of black spotting so not great in a fruit bowl. 

[tim]

So - assuming they ARE dessert - & grotty skin -
peel, halve, scoop out core, put into water with 15g Salt + 7g Acid to 2pt.

I would do them in a light syrup - 100g sugar/600ml water = 3+1lb jars.

Tell me how you will cook them & I'll give you the timing - slow water, quick water. p/cooker/moderate oven?

[grawrc]

Tim you're just a darling! :-*

[valmarg]

Delia has a recipe in her Winter Collection for Spiced Pickled Pears.

valmarg

[Mrs Ava]

Okay, I can peel, halve, scoop no problem.  Do I then place them in a bowl with the salt, and by acid, do you mean lemon juice to stop them discolouring?  Then what??  Do I pack them in the jars like I did with plums, nice and tight, into the oven for 90 mins, then out, pour in syrup and seal?  How long do I leave them in the salt and acid mix??  Confused of Essex here.  :-\

[tim]

Hold on - was waiting for your cooking method!!

Yes - to stop discolouration. Just while you're preparing them. As you do with Apples or Celeriac. And 'acid'? A quote!! One assumes lemon or citric?

Yes - like plums.

Syrup? Assuming moderate oven, boiling syrup before processing. As with Plums.
1-4lb -- 60-70min. 5-10lb -- 75-90min.

I quote!!

[supersprout]

You just gotta get that Home Office book EJ, it's got me out of (and into) a few pickles ;D

[grawrc]

Any chance of a quick rerun of bottled plums please? I've got 5 litres of chutney (Delia's Dowerhouse - used some green toms too) and 35 + lbs of jam  but still have 50 odd pounds of plums. Need some ideas before they all rot away... :'( :'( :'(

[MikeB]

Is the HMSO GUIDE called ' Home Preservation of Fruit and Vegetables ' ?

[tim]

If they are 'freestone', halve them like Apricots. If not, destalk, rinse bloom off dark varieties & do whole.
No need for the anti-spoil bath.

I still use the 'light' syrup. Better colour & flavour.

Moderate oven? 1-4lb -- 40-50min. 5-10lb -- 55-70min.

Boiling syrup in before processing.


Mike - yes.

[MikeB]

Mike - yes.

In that case it can be brought from Amazon for GBP 6.45 including P&P.

Do you think it is worth it?

[tim]

You can always ask 'us' for free!!

[supersprout]

for me, definitely :D
good value, especially for those who preserve in the wee small hours :P
its always there when you need it and you can take it to bed with you :)

[tim]

I did volunteer??

[supersprout]

:-[ I must be getting deaf in my old age tim ::) ;)

[MikeB]

Thanks for both offers

[cambourne7]

bottled pears.  The inlaws have given me a carrier full, and I want to bottle some, however, I don't know if I should do them the same as soft fruit, or different!  Have googled, but can't find a recipe.  Any ideas anyone?

found one for pear preserve  http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/how/can_07/pear_preserves.html

[tim]

The crunch word there is 'hard'?