Salad dressings & dips
Pear mostarda
Mostarda is a fiery, sweet preserve that can be made using lots of different fruit. Think of it as somewhere between chutney and candied fruit.
Recipes differ throughout Italy and often use mustard essence, but this is hard to find; we’ve used mustard powder and white wine, which is a great alternative.
This recipe makes the most of UK pears. We recommend making a big batch and giving some away as Christmas gifts – or you may want to keep it all for yourself! This recipe makes about 4 jam jars’ worth. Scale up if you wish.
Cook's notes
Serve alongside cold meats and/or cheese. It makes a great addition to a Christmas cheese board or Boxing Day spread.
Ingredients
- 2kg Conference pears
- caster sugar
- 75ml white wine
- 6 tbsp mustard powder
- 2 tsp black mustard seeds
- juice of 1 lemon
Method
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Step 1
Peel the pears. Chop them in half lengthways, then each half in half again. Cut away the core from each quarter, then cut each quarter in half widthways. Weigh your chopped pears in a bowl and add half the weight in sugar. Mix thoroughly so the pears are fully covered. Cover the bowl and refrigerate, stirring the pears every 8 hours or so. They are ready for the next step when the sugar has dissolved into the juices of the pears.
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Step 2
In a saucepan, heat the wine and stir in the mustard powder and the mustard seeds. Sieve the syrup from the pears into the pan and bring to a simmer. Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon juice.
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Step 3
Put the pears into sterilized jars (you can do this by putting the jars through a dishwasher or in the oven). Pour the hot liquid into each jar until the pears are fully submerged. Allow to cool slightly then put the lids on. Leave out at room temperature for up to 5 days, and then refrigerate. They will last for a long time, but for best results eat within a month.