The pear trees are loaded and ready to be harvested. When I saw John juggling pears and Howell bowling with pears, I knew that there must be something better to do with them than bruise and drop them. Of course there is, "Pear Relish!" So, I loaded my mom's bushel baskets up and took the water bath plunge!
For years I've been reading about canning, jarring, water bathing, pickling, yet I've always been so intimidated by this ancient tradition. A few years ago, the Cobb-Suberbielle family got together and made over fifty quarts of pear relish. It was hard work but very rewarding to have such a vital part in making food for our family. These days it's harder to get our huge families together but it is most important to keep the tradtion alive. So, I pulled out Grand-Mere's recipe and began a plan of action. (Plan of action: Call Ame and call Mom)
After carefully measuring and cooking the relish it was time to sterilize, jar, seal, water bath and seal again. It was exhilarating to pull the jars of brightly colored yellow relish out of the boiling water and gently press the tops and wait for what felt like a tiny burp and then, pop the jars were sealed and ready to be labeled. I made nine pints and intend to share them with family. I am on a mission to stock the top shelf of our pantry with relishes, preserves & jellies. Thank you Grand-Mere for starting the Pear Relish tradition.
