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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Nutrition (calculated from recipe ingredients)
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Calories: 5466
Calories From Fat: 14
Total Fat: 1.7g
Cholesterol: 0mg
Sodium: 82.4mg
Potassium: 1340.9mg
Carbohydrates: 1374.1g
Fiber: 15.8g
Sugar: 1309.7g
Protein: 8.1g