(Fills 5 x 250 g jars)

This traditional American preserve is usually made with just apples, but I like to use a combination of apples and pears, for a richer, more complex flavour. Try serving it warm, perhaps with a dash of Calvados or poire William, over vanilla ice-cream.

8 tart apples peeled, cored and chopped
8 pears, peeled, cored and chopped
250 ml apple juice
250 ml pear juice
2 large cinnamon sticks
4 thin slices fresh ginger root
12 allspice
8 cloves
Seeds of 4 cardamom pods
750 g sugar

Put the apples and pears and juices in a non-reactive saucepan, with the spices, including ginger, tied in scalded cheesecloth. Simmer for about an hour until the fruit is tender.

Remove the bundle of spices and with a stick blender, blend the fruit until smooth, or rub it through a sieve into another non-reactive saucepan.

Stir in the sugar and put back the bundle of spices. When the sugar has dissolved, simmer the mixture until it thickens, for about 40 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and, with tongs, discard the spice bundle and fill hot, sterilised jars with the butter. Seal and label the jars. Store in a cool, dry place and use within 12 months.

Cook’s tip: You can apply this method when making any fruit butters, depending on availability. Consider a luscious peach or apricot butter in summer, or a plum and pear butter later in the season.