I have to pipe up having just read this, that it came as a real supprise to me that all these methods where needed, I still have some raw, fermented in alcohol, mincemeat (sterile the jars)in my pantry which is 6 months old and regularly used it for up to 3 years old, it tastes better as it gets older, I also keep christmas pud for a year without any special treatment, as that just how its supposed to be made, the year before, however, I realised that heat and humidity may have a different effect here so I have invested in a Pressure Canner, the Presto 23 qrt, which can alledgedly be used as a water bath, I will continue with my nasty UK ways with pickled onions but the mincemeat I will look for ways to pressure can it (it doesn't actually contain meat (except suet haha!!!) I had to buy real suet this year as veg suet isn't avaliable as far as I can tell in the States) as mincemeat is always cooked anyway before consumption, so its not going to hurt to try and find a receipy, and if I cann't well I will continue. Lemon curd and orange curd contain eggs but it is actually cooked in, it wouldn't set otherwise, and once opened we always keep it in the fridge, fresh mayo is a different ball game. what do you do about pickled eggs? or don't you eat them? I am interested in the real statistics so I did a couple of searches, http://aje.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/93/2/93 http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/501859 I find it scary that E coli 153 H7 has killed 488 people in 8 years judging by the averages and 959 deaths due to botulism in 60 years until 1969 in the US, that said I am sure a great deal of under reporting was done, or the illness not recognised at the time of death, but still, a lot of these e coli cases are due to large food producers, not ma and pa, making some preserves of a farmer market, or home use, is it a case of money talks? and does not have the same standards as we do? It is also appears that botulism spores seem not to be common in the UK and Republic of Ireland as between 2003 - 2008 there have only been 5 cases of this and 3 of these involved Polish nationals eating meat from home, http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/501859 we also do not have quite the same home preverving history, as many people where happy to give up after rationing finished in the 1950's for us and started in 1940 (not me personally) so could not wait to buy food preserved, and we also enjoy a long, long season of temporate weather! so stuff isn't kept as long. Oh stuff it! I've read enough the mincemeat will investigate alcohol preserving more, and that and the pudding are out, I will freeze this year, and give up mass produced meat which quite frankly scares me more! you must have a whole lot of spore shaking on down! would be interested to know the state by state breakdown of the risks, so I could make a more informed choice but not found one? I was a nurse Occupational Health UK not US which covers epidemiology which is why I have writen an essay...badly! still I hope you won't mark me??? :) None of what I have written above is in a professional capacity and should be taken with a big pinch of salt and you should follow any offical guidance available (cover a$$ clause) Here is a link that might be useful: botulism USA

From Oregon State University (SP 50-694 Preserving Asian Pears updated February 2013): All home-canned Asian pears must be acidified to prevent growth of the bacteria which cause botulism food poisoning. Adding lemon juice before canning will bring the acidity of lower acid varieties into the safe range. They then may be safely canned using procedures for other types of pears. (Italics are mine). OSU lists the same acidification directions as for tomatoes (Asian pears are listed as a pH of 4.7 so just over the line): Add 1 Tablespoon bottled lemon juice per pint jar (2 Tablespoons per quart). Many pear recipes already include lemon juice, but an extra bit of citric acid might not be a bad idea, if you don't object to the tartness, and it wouldn't add any extra "lemon" flavor. Normal amounts would be 1/4 teaspoon citric acid per pint; 1/2 teaspoon per quart. Most recipes are also loaded with sugar, which minimizes the tart factor.

OK, finally, I remembered! the notes and instructions are Carol's (Readinglady). Old Fashioned Pear Preserves from Carol (Readinglady) Yu can also make Pear Preserves if you want chunks of pear suspended in syrup. By weight use equal amounts of pears and sugar. You also need the juice and seeds of one lemon. I wouldn't go over about 4 pounds of fruit because it takes too long to cook larger amounts. This takes several days, but it's mainly waiting and the results are wonderful. Here's what you do: Day 1: Peel, core and cut firm-ripe pears into chunks or slices. Leave pieces large enough to retain character in preserves. Place pears in acidified water (Fruit Fresh or Ascorbic Acid). Rinse and drain pears. Place in large bowl and add sugar equal in weight to pears. Add juice of lemon and place pips (seeds) in small bag. It's messy but I also add any of the pulp that was reamed out. Add to bowl. Stir gently to distribute syrup and refrigerate overnight. Throughout evening stir occasionally to distribute sugar. (I usually don't do this more than once.) Day 2: Place macerated pears and sugar syrup with lemon seeds in bag in large pan. Bring to a boil and cook about 10 minutes, skimming foam. Reduce temperature and continue to cook (about 20 minutes) until pears are translucent and candied. Turn off heat and leave pears and syrup overnight. (This can be room temperature.) Cover pan with a cloth, not a lid (to prevent condensation). Day 3: Using a slotted spoon lift pears from syrup and place in a strainer. Collect any additional syrup in a bowl beneath the strainer. (I drained syrup left in pan into a bowl and washed the pan because the syrup was crystallized along the rim then I put the syrup back.) Bring syrup to a boil and cook to gel point stirring frequently. (Depending on how thick you want the syrup, this can be anywhere from 218-222°.) You can also use the frozen plate test. The advantage is you get to thicken the syrup just the way you like without cooking the delicate pears to the point of disintegration. Return the pears to syrup and boil 1 minute to reheat them. Pull off heat and let sit for 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally. (This allows fruit to equalize with the syrup so it doesn't float to the top of the jar.) Place preserves in sterilized jars and BWB 5 minutes or clean, hot jars and BWB 10 minutes. This recipe is my favorite jam recipe, ever, one of those "OMG, how did I miss out on this" preserves. It's one of the few preserves I make that I don't share, it's ALL MINE!!! Happy Canning. Annie

Sometimes if we don't answer a question right away it's because 1) We don't have an answer. 2) We're thinking about it. 3) We're looking something up. It doesn't mean it hasn't been noticed. To answer your questions, yes you can use dried red pepper flakes. I have no idea how much you'd need because I don't see the recipe, but regardless you can add however much or little you prefer according to your taste. It's not a safety issue. I would not use roasted peppers in the chutney. First, the volume is different so it's really difficult to come up with an equivalent amount. Secondly, the roasted peppers will change the taste and texture. Since apples keep well, I'd probably hold them until getting a fresh pepper is convenient or I'd look for a different recipe that doesn't call for bell pepper. When you do buy bell peppers, if you find them at a good price, you might want to buy extras, chop, freeze on a tray and then bag up. They keep well in the freezer and will work fine for a recipe like this (or any cooked recipe). They'll soften but by the time the cooking's done it doesn't make any difference and the flavor is the same. Carol