Ingredients for Pear Chutney:
- 3 lb (1.4 kg) pears
- 2 cooking apples
- 1 lb (450 g) onions
- 1 lb (450 g) seedless raisins
- 1 teaspoon hot chilli powder or cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- Juice and grated rind of 2 lemons
- 1 lb (450 g) soft brown sugar
- 1 pint (570 ml) white distilled vinegar
Method for Pear Chutney:
- Peel, core and chop the pears and apples. Peel and chop the onions. Crush the garlic.
- Put all of the ingredients into a large pan with the vinegar and stir well with a wooden spoon.
- Bring to the boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce to a simmer and continue simmering for around 2 hours, stirring occasionally, or until it is thick.
- Ladle into hot, clean, sterilized jars, cover and seal.
- Label when fully cool.
Makes about 4 lb (1.8 kg) of Pear Chutney.
For More Information on Making Chutneys & Preserves
Chutneys - How to Make Chutney
Chutneys originated in India – the name derived from the Hindu word chatni . They then came back to Britain with explorers where they were a hit and are now a very popular preserve all over the world.
The scope of chutneys is endless and t...
made pear chutney last week turned out fine love the website makeing mixed fruit chutney tonight
I MADE SOME APRCOT CHUTNEY ON THE 1ST NOVEMBER AND IT HAS NOT THICKENED UP, I READ YOUR TIPS BUT IS IT TOO LATE TO REBOIL.
THANK YOU
IRENE
You’ve nothing to lose by trying! Do remember to wash the jars that it’s in and re-sterilise. If you still have problems, try a little cornflour mixed with water and add to the pan.
I was given some pears and apples so decided to make your chutney. The ingredients sound delicious together – really festive.
Thank you for helping me when my recipe books failed.
FIRST TIME AT YOUR WEB SIGHT BRILLIANT ON MY FAVOURITE LIST
If anyone reads this….I’ve got a lot of windfall pears that are very hard. Could I use them in this recipe, or do the pears need to be ripe?
Couldn’t you put them in a tray on a window sill for a few days so they soften up a bit? It’ll also make it easier to peel them.
Thanks, I’ll try that (I am a complete novice who only fairly recently came by a garden and had a surprisingly successful first year, hence the chutney making..).
Really pleased to find this site, thank you.
If the pears are very hard, you can try making Spiced Pears, which are better with hard pears.
2lb pears
1lb white sugar
1 pint white vinegar
a few cloves
pared rind of lemon
2 teaspoons allsice berries
small piece of bruised root ginger
stick of cinnamon
Peel the pears, and cut out the core.
Stud each piece with a clove.
Tie up the other spices and lemon rind in a muslin (or cotton) material.
Dissolve the sugar in the vinegar and add the bag of spices.
Simmer the pears in this until they are tender enough to be pierced with a skewer.
This may take a LONG time.
Remove them with a perforated spoon and pack into clean hot jars.
Simmer the vinegar until it is syrupy and cover the fruit with it.
Tie down and seal the jars.
Put the hard pears with some bananas. they will soon ripen
Lovely recipe. Made my first chutney ever today and it is wonderful. Used my garden pears and my grandads apples.
How long before this chutney has matured and is ready to eat?
Give it at least 8 weeks, 12 weeks if you can manage it!
I made some of this today. It is an excellent recipe.
What a GREAT site I have now got CHUTNEY MANIA. making all sorts of chutney. So far plum. apple. apple & pear. Pumpkin. still got loads of apples & pears to go at lol. My house smells heavenly
Pressure cook the hard pears for 10-15 minutes at high pressure before adding them to the pan with the other ingredients. GOOD LUCK!
Made this chutney yesterday with pears from our garden. A greatrecipe with absolutely excellent results. Thank you!
Can I use white pickling vinegar rather than white distilled vinegar?
Yes!
Hi, would this recipe work ok with white wine vinegar or cider vinegar?
Thanks
It would work with either white wine or cider vinegar.
Hi, What sort of jars are the best to use.
Thanks 🙂
What a brilliant site. My cookery books are redundant. Have made the spicey plum chutney wow!! its great with goats cheese. Just off to make the Pear chutney
I am going to have a go at this pear chutney but is it hot ?
A lovely chutney- thickened up really well and tasted rich and sweet immediately so will no doubt improve on keeping. Nice rich colour too.
I have just finished this and tried the it and although I sure it will improve with age, it is great. The lemon comes through very well.
I’ve used cornflour to thicken at times BUT it can leave chutneys and jams a bit “cloudy/dense” in appearence so I now use “Arrowroot” you use less and it does a great job without altering the look or texture of the chutney or jam.
Also the juice of a lemon in jams/conserves and the juice of 1/2 to 1 lemon in chutneys can help thicken them.
this is so yummy, made two batches already. thanks for the recipe.
Can you use white granulated sugar instead of brown?
Thanks
Making this chutney now, I’ve been waiting for it to thicken for 3 hours and still no joy! But it does smell amazing enhanced a little by some chilli flakes.
@Lesley: What I use Lesley are the jars that I bought Pataks sauces or sweet and sour sauces in. Those that pop up when you open them. Take the jars out of the oven (put them in to sterilise them) and whilst they are still hot put the hot chutney in. Mind your fingers! Don’t bother sealing the chutney with wax discs, just do the lid up and miraculously the lid will suck down just like it was when you bought what ever was in it. The heat of the chutney forms a vacuum..job done.
I made the pear chutney..it is absolutely gorgeous..every one wants it..thank you so much..Sue..
This recipe is the best..I made it..it turned out so well..thank you so much.
If you double the quantities do you double the simmering time? Please let me know…am doing it right now. First timer!
How thick is thickened? A slow drop of the back of a spoon?
It smells lovely but doesn’t seem to be what I called thickened.
I have just made this Chutney, and it is BEAUTIFUL!!!!!!! Absolutely GORGEOUS flavour and consistency. I have written it in my personal journal where I keep my favourite recipes so I will always have it, and will continue to make it!! It’s just perfect.
I was concerned because the pears (Conference I think?) on my tree never really ripen, so I used half semi-ripe and half green pears, and the result was still divine. A small amount of the green pears (I suspect) kept their shape so there are some nice chunks of pear throughout.
I recommend this to anyone – follow the recipe to the T, and it does what it says on the tin.
Thank you for sharing, and thanks for such a useful and inspirational site!
xx
3 months. Chutneys require this time to mature and the flavours to blend together.@Helen:
Just followed this recipe and made the chutney with the children. The neighbours gave us some of their pears. Brilliant, very simple and very very tasty. 🙂
Hi I was just making your pear chutney, but have no cider vinegar, can I substitute red wine vinegar?
Well I used it anyway!!!! I will see how it turns out.
This has turned out great, I doubled up on all ingredients to make more. I am selling it now for charity. Love the website it has been my life line. cheers to all. Joanne.
Just made this chutney and it tastes divine. Can’t wait to taste the matured version. This is my first time and I used the exact ingredients stated in the recipe. I definitely have the bug now and can’t wait to make the next lot. Thanks for a great recipe it will certainly be a favourite.
Do you weigh fruit to the said amount before its peeled and cored or after?
I usually weigh to the amount before peeling and coring.
THIS CHUTNEY IS ACTUALLY AMAZING! I did substitute 100g of the raisins for sultanas, because I had just the right amount in two already open packets, and I also used 50g less of the sugar.. because that was also what I had open. Nevertheless, it is a really, REALLY good recipe. I make many Chutneys, Jams, Pickles and Preserves.. so I know a bad recipe from a good one, and a good one from a great one.. and this is most certainly the latter!
Thank you very much indeed!
@Sharon:
You could, but I wouldn’t. Brown sugar gives a dark richness that you just don’t get from white. Similarly you wouldn’t use brown to make a fine Victoria sponge, well I wouldn’t anyway! 🙂
Just burned all cook books not one recipe, can I use malt vinegar ‘brown’ or do I need to shop for white. Many thanks for a speedy reply.
Couldn’t wait for answer, used malt vinegar anyway chutney absolutely delicious.
Yum Yum
I have same issue but waited a few days until the pears were softer and made gorgeous pear and apple jam. Now going to try the chutney @Caro:
I made this yummy chutney on Tuesday night. Doubled all quantities and so it took an age to come to the boil and didn’t quite set which I’m not particularly bothered about except for when I jarred it up. I usually put cling film over the top of the jar then the lid on tight and then turn the jar upside down and leave it for a minute or two. However, as my chutney was a bit runny some has escaped from some of the jars!! Does this mean the chutney will go mouldy as the jars are not properly sealed and airtight? Please tell me I don’t have to empty all the jars out and start again …..