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Pear Relish
(yields 7 half-pints)

2 cups white vinegar
2 ¼ pounds hard, solid pears
1 ¾ cups onion, chopped
1 cup green peppers, chopped
2 chile peppers, seeded & chopped
1 cup sugar
1 tbs dry mustard
2 tsp ground allspice
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp salt

2. Mix onion, green and hot peppers, sugar, mustard, allspice, cinnamon, cloves, turmeric and salt into pears.

3. Cover and bring to a boil; uncover, boil 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

4. Ladle into hot jars leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Seal. Process in a hot water bath for 20 minutes.

Pear Honey
(7 half-pints)

7 ½ pounds medium-ripe pears
1 cup orange blossom honey
1 tsp grated orange rind
½ tsp grated nutmeg

2. Put through a fine sieve, pressing with spoon to yield about 10 cups pear sauce. Puree pear sauce in a food processor or blender. This step creates a smooth Pear Honey. If a more textured spread is desired, skip this step.

3. Return puree to saucepan; stir in grated orange rind and nutmeg. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and boil gently 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add honey; return mixture to a boil; boil gently 20 minutes or until Pear Honey mounds on a spoon or reaches desired thickness.

4. Ladle into a hot jar leaving ½ inch head space. Seal. Process in a hot water bath for 5 minutes.

Recipes from the University of California Cooperative Extension's Common Ground Garden.