CANNING: Spiced Pear Chutney
This spiced pear chutney is packed with tangy fruit flavor and robust spices. A chutney is a piquant cold sauce with sweet and acidic flavors, often made with fruits, vinegar and spices, with origins in India. There are countless different styles of chutney in Indian cuisine, but this one is an English-style simmered fruit chutney, with a light curry spice that is zesty but still very versatile. Their popularity in British cuisine is one of the more innocuous remnants of the British colonial past… It’s a mild accent to many foods without being overpowering, but you can kick up the heat with more spice if you like!
This is a classic simmered chutney, combining fresh ripe pears and dried fruit along with sugar, vinegar, and spices. A western-style pickle like this spiced pear chutney is an often chunky and highly spiced preserve that pairs well with roasted meats or grilled meats, charcuterie or cheese boards, sandwiches, or rice and curry dishes.
Canning Spiced Pear Chutney
It can be enjoyed fresh, or water-bath canned and jarred to enjoy throughout the year. This makes a big batch, perfect to stash away for holiday gifts and parties, or just to savor all summer long. This recipe makes seven pints, which I like to can in smaller half-pint and four ounce jars for gift giving. If your family eats a lot of chutney, you might like to can it in the larger pint jars instead.
This is an easy water-bath canning recipe, so you don’t need a lot of specialized equipment and it’s very beginner-friendly. Even if you have never canned before, you can absolutely make this spiced pear chutney. If you can peel fruit and boil water, you can do this!
For more information about what you’ll need if you’re new to canning, you can learn more here:
CANNING: Equipment Guide- What Do I Need to Start Canning at Home?
I like to make this while I’m canning pear halves or slices, and all the odd and uneven but still sound bits of fruit go into the chutney pot. A mix of very soft ripe fruit and some firm crisp pears makes for a nice contrast and texture in the finished chutney, with the riper fruit melding into the syrupy tart sauce and the firmer fruit forming a lovely chunky body for the preserve as they all simmer together. You can safely increase the pears, sugar, salt, vinegar, or dried spices in this recipe to taste, but do not add significantly more onion or fresh peppers when canning spiced pear chutney.
Spiced Pear Chutney
Equipment
- water bath canner or large stockpot with rack
- clean mason jars and new lids 7 pints or 14 half-pint jars (or a combination)
- medium heavy-bottomed jam or sauce pot
- canning funnel (optional but helpful for filling the jars)
- jar lifters or tongs or jar rack with handles
- small ladle or spoodle
Ingredients
- 20 large firm, ripe pears 25-30 small to medium fruits
- 3 cups distilled or apple cider vinegar 5% acidity or higher
- 2 cups wine vinegar (white or red) 5% acidity or higher (can substitute apple cider vinegar)
- 2 cups packed brown sugar
- 1 ½ cups white sugar
- 1 medium onion, finely diced (about one cup)
- 1 cup golden raisins
- ½ cup dried cranberries
- 2 oz chopped candied ginger (about ¼ cup)
- 2 oz tamarind pulp dissolved in boiling water to make ⅔'s cup
- ¼ cup dry yellow mustard seeds
- 2-3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
- 1 small minced red or green hot pepper (jalapeno, serrano, or hot banana pepper)
- 2-3 tbsp minced red sweet pepper
- 1 whole cinnamon stick
- 1 tbsp canning salt or 5 tsp kosher salt
- 2 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp garam masala
- ½ tsp ground ginger
- ½ tsp ground fenugreek
- ½ tsp ground red chili powder
- ⅛ tsp asafoetida powder (hing) (optional)
Instructions
- In a large, heavy bottomed stockpot, enameled dutch oven, or saucepan, combine the vinegar, sugar, salt, and spices, and begin to heat slowly on medium-low heat as you prepare and chop the other ingredients.
- Mince the onion, garlic, and hot peppers and add to the pot. Rough chop the candied ginger and add it to the pot along with the raisins and dried cranberries.
- Wash all the pears, then, peel, core, and chop each one and add them to the chutney pot as you chop them, stirring periodically.
- Roughly chop or break up the tamarind paste, and pour ½ cup of boiling water over. Let the tamarind soften in the hot water until you can press the mixture through a wire sieve or strainer into a small bowl or measuring cup. Pour another few tablespoons of boiling water over the pulp in the sieve to make ⅔ of a cup of tamarind paste. Add this to the pot of cooking chutney.
- Simmer the chutney over medium-low heat for several hours or until it has thickened and the fruit is soft. Keep hot while you ready the canner.
- Fill your canner or stockpot with enough water to cover jars by at least an inch, fit with your trivet or jar rack insert and bring water up to a boil. I add a splash (just a few tablespoons) of white distilled vinegar to the pot to keep hard-water deposits off the jars).
- Wash and rinse your canning jars and lids with hot, soapy water. Keep hot until ready to use (I like to simmer my jars in in the canner after they're washed. You don't need to sterilize them before processing, but it can't hurt!). Do not simmer your lids (if you are using reusable gasketed lids like Tattlers or Weck jars, follow manufacturer instructions, otherwise, keep lids in clean hot water but do not boil).
- Remove the canning jars from the hot water and place on a towel (I like to put the towel on a half-sheet pan for easy clean-up). Using a canning funnel (if possible) fill the jars with the hot chutney mixture, leaving ¼ headspace. Work quickly and keep mixture hot while filling jars.
- Using a thin non-metallic spatula, thin wooden spoon, or jar tool, remove air bubbles from the jars and adjust headspace as needed.
- Wipe jar rims. I use a paper towel or clean lint-free towel dipped in hot water, followed with a clean towel dampened with distilled vinegar. Clean jar rims mean safe seals! Place your prepared lids on the jars and secure with rings (check rings for dents and discard any damaged rings).
- Using jar tongs or a wire canning jar rack, transfer the hot jars into the boiling water canner (or stockpot) and make sure there is at least an inch of water over the jars (top up from a hot kettle of water if needed).
- Process in your boiling water bath for 10 minutes (0-1000 ft of elevation), 15 minutes (1001-6000 ft) or 20 minutes (above 6000 ft). Make sure the water is boiling hard the whole time- do not start the timer until the pot is boiling.
- When the time is up, turn off the burner under the pot, and carefully remove the jars with jar tongs (or remove the jar rack, if you used one). Place them on a towel-covered or wooden surface and leave undisturbed until completely cool (if it's cold or drafty, you may want to cover the jars with a towel so they cool evenly). Do not tighten the bands (unless you are using reusable lids- follow manufacturer instructions if so).
- After jars have cooled completely (12-24 hours) remove the bands and check for seals. Refrigerate any jars that did not seal and use promptly. Gently wash jars or wipe with a damp cloth, label, and store in a cool, dark pantry. For best quality, enjoy home-canned goods within 12-18 months.
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