Walnuts and pears say classic English Christmas to me. I envision this Spiced Pear and Walnut Chutney served along with some sharp farmhouse cheddar and oat biscuits, or spooned on top of baked brie. It makes the kitchen smell like spiced cider.
The chutney takes on a deep brownish tone from fresh walnuts. If you want to reduce that look and get a paler golden tone, use packaged walnuts, and add them to the chutney after it’s cooked. I like the dusky look of it, though.
Walnuts right out of the shell are one of the great pleasures of holiday season eating. They are so crunchy and the flavor is much richer than you get from the pre-packaged nuts. I don’t have a nutcracker so I just used a small hammer to bash them open.
Fresh pears are so cheap right now, and I get double duty out of them—first I display them in a bowl to enjoy their beauty for a few days, and then, when they start to get fragrant and soft, I cook with them.
Spiced Pear and Walnut Chutney
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp mustard seeds
- 1 Tbsp coriander seeds
- 4 cardamom pods, cracked
- 5 ripe pears, any variety, peeled and rough chopped, about 4 cups, after chopping
- 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/4 cup cider vinegar
- juice of 1 lemon
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 inch fresh ginger, peeled and thickly sliced
- 2 star anise
- 1/2 cup rough chopped walnuts
Instructions
- In a heavy bottomed pot, toast the mustard seeds, coriander seeds and cardamom pods for a few minutes over medium heat, stirring or shaking the pan constantly.
- Add the rest of the ingredients to the pot and mix well. If your pears have very little natural juice you may need a little water to get it started. Bring mixture to a bubble, then turn the heat down and continue boiling for about 30 to 45 minutes, until the chutney is reduced and thick. I cover the pot for the first half, then uncover. Just keep cooking until the chutney is as thick as you want it to be. It will firm up a little more as it cools.
- Fish out the star anise and fill a small jar or jars with the chutney, and let cool completely. Cover tightly and refrigerate until needed. You can keep the chutney for a couple of weeks in the refrigerator.
Nutrition
notes:
- Try my Spicy Mango Persimmon Chutney for another fall inspired recipe.
- This recipe could be done with apples, too.ย
I made this up and am a bit surprised abut the seeds – perhaps I did them wrong, but the chutney ends up tasting “gritty” to me because of the seeds. Are they supposed to dissolve into the chutney? I did toast them in the pan first – maybe too long?
So love the idea of this – would like to fix it! Thanks for your help!
They don’t dissolve, Lyn, but it is probably a matter of taste. My husband loves to bite down on Indian spices because you get little bursts of flavor. But you can certainly grind them, or use ground spices next time for a smoother experience.