Info
- Skill Level: Easy
- Cost: Moderate
- Favorited: 4 Times
Can be made ahead of time.
Dried Pear and Ginger Chutney
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Recipe
I love dried pears and crystallized ginger. But nothing can compare to what happens when you combine them in this sweet-hot chutney that I created as an accessory for grilled meat. And, as good as it is with grilled pork and game, it is killer spread on toast in the morning or served with cheese in the evening.
Yield :
Makes 3 cups
Ingredients
- 1 pound dried pears, coarsely chopped
- ½ pound chunks crystallized ginger
- ¼ cup golden raisins
- ½ cup sugar
- 2/3 cup spring or bottled water
- Juice and zest of 1 lemon
- ½ cup champagne vinegar
- ½ cup pear eau de vie or pear juice (see Notes)
- 1 cinnamon stick, broken in half
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
Directions
1. Mix the pears, ginger, and raisins in a medium, nonreactive, heavy-bottomed saucepan. Cover with the sugar, water, lemon juice and zest, vinegar, eau de vie, cinnamon stick, and salt. Stir to dissolve the sugar and salt.
2. Simmer slowly over medium heat to break down the dried fruit and ginger, stirring occasionally. Bring to a low boil and then reduce the heat. Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the mixture resembles a chunky jam. Check the seasonings and adjust if necessary with a squirt of fresh lemon juice and/or a pinch of salt. (It should be plenty sweet, but you don’t want it to be too sweet.)
3. Remove from the heat and let cool before serving. Remove the cinnamon stick. The chutney will keep, tightly covered in the refrigerator, for about 1 week.
Notes
Good for Slathering: pork chops, pork loin, fresh ham, game, sausages, chicken, game hen, quail
Eau de vie (translated as “water of life”) is the French name for a clear fruit brandy that is prepared with freshly harvested ripe fruit (e.g., pears, peaches, berries) that is crushed whole and fermented prior to distillation. Unlike the brandy from Cognac, eau de vie is not generally aged in wooden casks, which is the reason it remains colorless. The ripe fruit is fermented, distilled, and bottled quickly to preserve the freshness and aroma of the fruit.
© 2009 Elizabeth A. Karmel
Nutritional Information
Nutrients per serving (% daily value)
Nutritional information is based on 24 servings and uses Pear Juice.
104kcal (5%)
13mg (1%)
7mg (11%)
0mcg RAE (0%)
131mg
8mg
0g
25g
2g
27g
0mg (0%)
31mg (1%)
0g (0%)
0g (0%)
0mg (3%)
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