Christmas Relish: Pear, Pomegranate, Peppers and Cranberries

Embarking on the creation of the ruby red Christmas relish I must confess the red food coloring wasn’t out of reach. (Making icings for the holidays.) But lo and behold, this rubicund relish needed no supplement coloring agents.

The recipe calls for red pears, red onions, red pepper (fresh and dried), cranberries, pomegranates and a mix of dried dried cherries and strawberries. While the casual reader might offer a comment like, “Duh, dude,” fellow canners and cooks who’ve experienced the disappointment of purple beans turning green and yellow tomatoes losing the fight to red understand the delight in the crimson color of this Christmas Relish recipe.
And take a look at this nifty scraper cup from Loaves and Fishes cook shop in Bridgehampton. So smart – chop first and ask questions later.  It measures the volume of chopped vegetables, a real boon to recipe writers.  Anyway, let’s get to it:
Christmas Relish: Pears, Pomegranates, Peppers and Cranberry
Recipe

6 firm red pears
1 pomegranate
12 oz. bag fresh cranberries
2 red onions
2″ piece fresh ginger
1 red bell pepper
1/2 cup mixed dried berries (strawberries, cherries, cranberries)
2 1/2 c. white vinegar
2 1/2 c. sugar
1 T. red pepper flakes
1 t. mustard seeds
1 t. salt

Prepare the vegetables:
Remove the arils (red seeds) from the pomegranate. I highly recommend the water method, check out my video.
Dice the red pepper (= 1 cup).
Coarsely shred the pears (= 6 cups).
Chop the red onion (= 2 cups).
Peel and mince the ginger (= 3 tablespoons).

Combine everything in a large, heavy pot.  Yes, it’s that simple, just put it all in the pot. Turn the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to a constant simmer and cook, stirring occasionally to prevent scorching. Pour into clean, sterilized jars. Process in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes.

Makes @ 13 half-pint jars.

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