Simple Pear Chutney

This goes with pretty much everything - but especially on a pork dinner or a cheeseboard.

The more ripe your pears are, the sweeter they'll be - so reduce the sugar a little if they're very ripe.

Try and use up your pears before they get really ripe though, because OH GOD THE MESS.

Warning: make this on a day when you can throw the doors and windows open because OH GOD THE VINEGAR SMELL

Simple Pear Chutney

Makes approx 4 jars

Ingredients:

• 10 medium sized pears, peeled, cored and chopped as you like. I like to have varying sizes of chunks so it's more rustic and homemade looking.

• 1 large white onion, peeled and chopped how you like. To keep them visible in the finished chutney, I cut them pole to pole and then thinly slice along the grooves.

• 350ml cider vinegar

• 125g sugar - add 10g less if your pears are especially ripe, or 10g more if they're firm and tart

• Quarter teaspoon grated nutmeg

• generous pinch of salt

• pinch of white pepper. You can use black, but some people think the black bits aren't meant to be there.

Method:

1. Preheat the slow cooker to high.

2. Thoroughly wash your jars in hot soapy water, rinse well and then stand upside down on the middle rack in a 100C oven for about half an hour. Switch the oven off, and leave them in there until you're ready. Thoroughly wash your lids, and make sure they are nice and flat and not damaged in any way. This is to sterilize them, so your chutney keeps for longer.

3. Chuck everything into the slow cooker, all at once, and give it a good stir.

4. Leave the lid on until the mixture is bubbling and the sugar has dissolved. Keep giving it a little stir now and then.

5. Once the sugar has dissolved, take off the lid and cook down until there's not much liquid left. It might take a couple of hours, but trust the process.

6. Once it's no longer watery, leave to cool for 10 minutes, then very carefully fill your jars. Screw the lids on tight and flip the jars upside down to cool - the heat from the chutney will sterilise the inside of the lids.

This chutney will keep for 6 months unopened in a cool, dark place. Once open use within a week. Serve with meats and cheeses. And nice posh crackers. Or with a Sunday dinner. Or on a toastie. It's reeeeally nice.