Undiluted vinegar right? No water added to the recipe? The most all of the NCHFP and BBB pear pickle and pear relish recipes call for white vinegar. Cider would give it a more mellow flavor (white is sharp) but it would also darken its appearance.

With only 4 cups of added liquid (the vinegar) it seems it would be a relatively dry recipe compared to all the other ingredients. i might be inclined to add more vinegar to moisten it up more. How long is it supposed to be processed?

Dave

Now that you ask Dave, I see that it doesn't give the amount of time to process. That is odd. The boiling time is 30 minutes before filling the jars, but it doesn't give the amount of time for processing in a canner. How long do you think would be needed? And how much more vinegar would you add?

I don't care for the taste of white vinegar in pickles and relishes and I don't mind the minor darkening that comes with cider vinegar, so I always use cider vinegar. Plus, it's what my mother and grandmother and great grandmother always used, so it's what pickles taste like to me.

< I see that it doesn't give the amount of time to process. That is odd.>

As I hinted at above that is only one of the common problems with these old, hand-me-down recipes. Vague measurements, faulty transcriptions, lack of prep and processing details, the variable acidity of vinegar then and now, and a disregard for the issues of pH and density are just a few of the reasons why the current guidelines recommend they be relegated to history rather than used. That is especially true when modern, well-tested recipes without those flaws for the same thing are available.

Pear Relish

But it is your choice. :)

Dave

PS: like Mary, I prefer cider vinegar but it is a personal taste thing so use whichever you prefer.

Thank you Dave & Mary, I'm going to go with the NCHFP recipe. I'll probably use cider vinegar. One more question for you. The recipe calls for celery. I really don't like celery. Am I going to make the recipe less safe if I don't add it?