"Perfect with roast partridge, or indeed a slice of Gammon or a bit of cheese. A proper Christmas pickle inspired by a meeting in a car park with the Godfather himself Antonio Carluccio."
Ingredients
- 20 conference pears
- 1lt white wine vinegar
- ½lt water
- 500g caster sugar
- 3 star anise
- 1 large stick cinnamon, broken into three
- 1tbsp allspice berries
- Zest of a lemon cut into curls with a potato peeler.
- ½tsp cloves
- 1dsp juniper berries
- 3 sprigs rosemary
You'll also need:
- 2 x 1½lt Kilner jars
WEIGHT CONVERTER
Method
- Peel the pears carefully leaving the stalk intact.
- In a large cast-iron or ceramic saucepan, place the water, vinegar, sugar, star anise, allspice berries, lemon zest, cloves and juniper berries. Bring to the boil, and add the pears then cover and simmer gently for about 10 - 15 mins until the pears are poached. Remove the pears and set aside.
- Boil the poaching liquor for about 5 mins to intensify the flavours.
- Meanwhile sterilise the jars. Either boil them in a pan or place them in the oven to kill any bugs. Remember to remove the rubber rings first.
- Pack six or seven pears into each jar, divide the liquor and pour into each jar. Make sure each jar has an even distribution of spices.
- Place a sprig of Rosemary into each jar.
- Seal tightly and store. They will be good to eat after a week and can be stored for up two months.
Top Tip for making Hairy Bikers' pickled pears
Once opened eat within two weeks.
-
Hairy Bikers cardamom cookiesThe Hairy Bikers cardamom cookies take 10 minutes to prepare and only use six ingredients.
-
Hairy Bikers Spanish-style chicken bakeThe Hairy Bikers Spanish-style chicken bake is all cooked in one dish and only takes 15 minutes to prepare
-
Hairy Bikers apple and blackberry crumbleThe Hairy Bikers apple and blackberry crumble serves six and takes 40 minutes to cook
-
Annabel Karmel's trio of vegetables with tomato and basilSuitable for six months plus, this baby food by nutritional expert Annabel Karmel is made with a whole heap of veggies...
-
Annabel Karmel's cheesy carrot starsThese flavour-packed cheesy carrot stars by Annabel Karmel are perfect for introducing finger foods to your little one...
-
Steak and salsa wrapsOur steak and salsa wraps are one of those build-you-own suppers the teens in your house will love...
-
4 ingredients and 15 minutes to make this classic British dessert in your air fryerYou can make bread and butter pudding in an air fryer using just four basic store cupboard ingredients, thanks to one TikTok influencer's recipe.
-
When does winter start? The first day of winter 2023When does winter start? We reveal when the first day of winter will be in 2023, and answer your questions about the coldest season.
-
The most unpopular Christmas dinner item revealed, and surprisingly it’s not sproutsBut do you agree with what's been ranked the most unpopular Christmas dinner item?
