Golden Gossip Pear Chutney

 We love love love chutney, and as we try new kinds, I just love them more. Call me crazy, but we sometimes will use the immersion blender in a car of chutney to make a fruity BBQ sauce. Don't knock it! We love it. 

1 lb carrots, peeled and shredded
2- 1/2 cups sugar
2-1/4 cups water
5 inch piece cinnamon stick
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tbsp mustard seed
2 tsp ground cloves
3 tbsp gingerroot, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped, pitted dates
3 - 4 lbs pears, peeled, seeded and coarsely chopped
3 cups cider vinegar
1 lb onions, chopped
1/4 cup bottled lemon juice

Place the carrots, sugar, water and spices into a large stainless pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes. Put the rest of the ingredients except the lemon juice into the pot and bring to a nice simmer.  Cook stirring occasionally until the pears are soft and the mixture has thickened somewhat. This should take 1 - 1 1/2 hours. Meanwhile sterilize eight pint jars in your water or steam canner, and have your rings and caps ready to go.

Add 1/4 cup lemon juice to the chutney and stir in. 

Ladle chutney into a hot jar to within 1/2 inch of top of jar. Remove air bubbles and adjust head-space, if required, by adding more chutney. Wipe jar rim with white vinegar on a paper towel, removing any food residue. Centre sealing disc on clean jar rim. Screw band down until resistance is met, then increase to fingertip tight. Return filled jar to rack in canner. Repeat for remaining chutney.

If you are using a water bath canner, make sure the bottles are completely immersed with an inch of water above. Cover. Bring to a full boil. If using a steamer canner,  cover and bring the canner up to temperature. Reduce the heat to medium-high but keep the water boiling. Pints need 20 minutes of processing time and 250 ml jars (jam jars) require 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and let sit 5 minutes in the canner.

Remove from the canner to a protected work surface and allow to cool for 24 hours before labelling and storing in a cool dark place.