Pears Pickled in Merlot

INGREDIENTS

INSTRUCTIONS

Peel the pears, leaving the stems intact. Set aside. Combine the wine,
vinegar, sugar, rosemary, and cinnamon in a stainless-steel or other
nonreactive pan large enough to hold all the whole pears eventually. Bring
to a boil over high heat. Boil, stirring often, until a thin syrup forms,
about 5 minutes. Using a slotted utensil, slip the pears into the boiling
syrup. Reduce the heat to medium and gently boil the pears, turning them in
the syrup, until just barely cooked, 8 to 10 minutes. (Be careful not to
overcook them to the point where they become mushy.)
Using a slotted utensil, transfer the pears to clean, dry jars with
sealable lids. To pack the pears, make a layer of pears, standing them
upright, then add a second layer of pears, inverting them, to maximize the
space. Ladle in the hot syrup, including the cinnamon sticks, to cover the
pears completely and to fill the jars to within 1/2 inch of the rims. Using
a damp cloth, wipe the rims clean.
Cover with the lids and process for 1 hour in a hot-water bath (see above
instructions for processing hot-pack foods). Remove the jars and let them
cool for 12 hours or overnight. Check for complete seals. Store the sealed
jars in a cool, dark place. The pears will keep for up to 1 year. Once
opened, keep refrigerated. Store any jar lacking a complete seal in the
refrigerator for up to 10 days. Makes 3 pints.
Sealing Techniques And Equipment
In the home canning of fruits and vegetables, the jars are heated in a
hot-water bath until their interior temperatures are high enough to kill
microbes and to stop enzyme activity. The jars are hermetically sealed
during the process and the atmosphere in the jars becomes anaerobic.
Harmful microbes capable of living in high-acid foods-most fruits,
tomatoes, and pickled fruit or vegetable preparations-are destroyed after
being processed in boiling water, that is, in water that reaches 212oF. The
length of time foods are processed depends upon the acidity of the food and
the size of the jar or jars. Large jars take longer than small jars. The
tight seal prevents contamination from new organisms, and the canned,
high-acid foods may be safely stored at room temperature.
Clostridium botulinum produces the deadly toxin that causes botulism. The
bacteria thrive in an anaerobic environment, but cannot live in a high-acid
environment, which makes canned, high-acid foods safe from the risk of
botulism.
Low-acid foods, however, are hospitable to harmful microbes, including
Clostridium botulinum, that are not destroyed in a hot-water bath of 212oF.
Low-acid foods include meats and most vegetables, with the exception of
tomatoes. To achieve the high temperatures necessary to destroy low-acid
bacteria requires special pressure canning equipment.
Canning Hot-Pack Foods
If the food in the jar is hot and then covered with a hot liquid, it is a
hot pack. It is also a hot pack if the food is cold or raw, yet is covered
with hot liquid. Hot-pack jars go directly into the boiling water of a
hot-water bath and the timing is started immediately.
The Hot-Water Bath
For hot-pack foods, have the water boiling in a canning kettle or other
large pot. Ladle the prepared food into clean, dry glass jars with lids
that will form hermetic seals. Using long-handled tongs or a jar holder,
lower the filled jars into the boiling water. Make sure the jars are not
touching either the bottom of the kettle or pot or one another. Add
additional boiling water if necessary to ensure that the tops of the jars
are covered by at least one inch of boiling water. Cover the pot and
process the number of minutes directed in the specific recipe. Add more
boiling water, if necessary, to keep the jars submerged.
When the processing period has ended, remove the jars and let them cool for
12 hours or overnight, then check for a complete seal. As screw-top ring
lids seal, there is often an audible "ping." Also, the lid will be slightly
concave if the seal is complete.
Although foods processed in a water bath may be stored at room temperature,
storing them in a cool, dark place protects the foods from discoloration.
The Glass Pantry: The Pleasures of Simple Preserves by Georgeanne Brennan
(Chronicle Books, copyright 1994 by Georgeanne Brennan).
Converted by MC_Buster.
Recipe by: Good Morning America
Converted by MM_Buster v2.0l.

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