SPICED PEAR BUTTER
6 large sweet pears
1 lemon [zest & juice]
thumb-sized piece ginger
1 stick cinnamon
1 star anise
pinch ground nutmeg
4 cloves
2 small strip mace
water
honey
_ peel pears and remove core
_ chop into small to medium chunks
_ place into a large saucepan and add a little water [as little as possible - just so the pears don’t burn when being heated]
_ add spices [everything but the lemon juice and honey] and bring to a simmer
_ simmer until pears are soft and fragrant
_ remove spices [if you want to skip this fiddly step you can use ground spices from the start]
_ blend pears into a smooth puree
_ simmer pear puree for another 20-40 minutes [depending on water content] until you reach the desired, spreadable consistency [stir every few minutes to keep the mixture from scorching]
_ once the puree is darkened and thickened add the lemon juice and honey [amount of honey depends on acidity of pears and how sweet you like it]
_ spoon into clean glasses and seal well
WINTERLICHER BIRNENAUFSTRICH
6 große süße Birnen
1 Zitrone [Schale und Saft]
daumengroßes Stück Ingwer
1 Zimtstange
1 Sternanis
Priese gemahlene Muskatnuss
4 Nelken
2 kleine Stück Muskatblüte
Wasser
Honig
