Dips & Condiments,Old Recipe Dips + Condiments
There are only ten minutes in the life of a pear when it is perfect to eat. – Ralph Waldo Emerson
Christmas is the time of all things nice, pretty and happy. And so we come to this gorgeous spiced chutney that pairs tremendously well with any kind of cheese, particularly aged cheddar, gouda and softer brie or camembert. This goes amazingly well in a grilled cheese and even better in baked goods – a warm slice of chocolate pie with vanilla ice cream, topped with this chutney!
And for Christmas morning, have hot cocoa with a slice of rye toast and this chutney!
The Recipe
Serves Yields: ½ cup | Prep Time: 15 mins | Cook Time: 30 mins
Ingredients
- 2 pears, finely diced
- ¾ cup water
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp orange juice
- 1 tsp orange zest or a few large orange peels
- 2 pieces of crystallised ginger or 1 small piece fresh ginger, peeled
- 2 tbsp sugar
- ½ tsp vanilla bean seeds, or 1 whole vanilla bean split
- 2 star anise, whole
- 1 tsp cinnamon powder or 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 tsp clove powder or 4-5 whole cloves
- ½ tsp nutmeg
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ cup dried cranberries + dried apricots, mixed (or just cranberries)
Instructions
- In a saucepan, combine all the ingredients together.
- Bring to a boil on low heat, stirring occasionally.
- Once a chutney texture has formed, remove the star anise, orange peel, fresh ginger, and any other spice (vanilla bean, cinnamon stick) that hasn’t dissolved and gently mash the pears with the back of a fork.
- Remove from heat and let the chutney cool completely before storing in a glass jar.
- Store in refrigerator.
