Can-a-lot!

Ah the bounty of summer! I've been meaning to post these magnificent photos (courtesy of the doctor), both to chronicle our efforts and just to have as eye candy. So much to enjoy this winter! (Although, since I neglected to label everything right away, it may be interesting to open some of these jars in several months....)

After a visit to the farmers' market, I plan to indulge in a dinner of freshly made pear chutney, goat sausage, brussels sprouts, and caramelized onions, and welcome the first hints of fall (even in the midst of what my friend Michael calls "the glorious 60" of Bay Area summer).

A pear proposition from the marketeer

My friend Kate the marketeer called with a proposition - she had a bunch of pears fresh off the trees of her in-laws' farm and wanted to learn how to put 'em up. So I gathered a few recipes online, and headed off to her place armed with some half pint jars and lids. The view from their place is magnificent, and it was grandly pleasing to have a sweeping view of the city and Golden Gate Bridge while surrounded by freshly picked pears (Bartlett, Bosc, and one other kind whose name I've since forgotten). 

I like doing a bit of savory with sweet, so we made some pear chutney first, and followed it with a very simple pear preserve. Kate had the brilliant idea of adding a bit of cardamom to the lot, which really enhances the pears (we also added a bit of vanilla bean in each jar).

Turns out Kate is a natural canner, and she ended up using the same recipe the next day (she has a lot of pears to use!) - this time, however, the mixture was more caramelized since she cooked it down quite a bit. I tried some today over plain yogurt and it's amazing stuff - a light ruby mixture of chunks of lemony pear with that cardamom/vanilla spice combo. YUM!