Preserved pears are an ideal accompaniment to sliced gammon and are serviously delicious with a good strong cheddar from the cheese board. Make now that pears are plentiful and it will be ready for Christmas.

sterilise your jars and lids by first washing thoroughly in soapy water then placing in a 120°C oven for 12-15 minutes

Ingredients - makes a 1.5 litre jar 6 large, firm rocha pears 500ml Sandford Orchard cider vinegar 450g Traidcraft granulated sugar 1 tsp cloves pared zest strips from 1 lemon 2 cinnamon sticks 1 large sprig of rosemary 1.5 litre sterilised jar

Method

1 You will need a 1.5 litre, wide topped storage jar. Sterilise it by washing thoroughly and heating to 120°C for 10-15 minutes. Heat the cider vinegar, sugar, cloves and cinnamon gently in a large saucepan, stirring until the sugar has melted.

2 Peel and halve the pears (they’ll fit in the jar better) and slide in to the vinegar together with the strips of lemon zest. Simmer gently for 20 minutes then turn off the heat and add the sprig of rosemary (submerge it to scald). Allow to cool for about 30 minutes.

3 Move the pear halves to the storage jar with care and pour in the vinegar and spice, sliding the rosemary down the side of the jar. Seal and store in a cool place for a month before using and refrigerate after opening.