Ingredients

  • 3-4 pears, cored and chopped (to equal about 3 cups of fruit; you could also try this with apples, plums, peaches, mango, pineapple, grapes, or papaya, or use a combination of fruit)
  • 1/2 cup raisins
  • 1/2 cup cashews or pecans, chopped
  • 2 teaspoons sea salt
  • juice of 1-2 lemons
  • 1 leek or 1 onion or the bottoms from 3-4 green onions, finely chopped
  • 1 tablespoon (or more if you really like it) grated ginger
  • 1-2 hot red chili peppers, fresh or dried, chopped (I used 1 dried ancho chili- plenty spicy for me)
  • 1/2 cup (or more) filtered water
  • 1 quart or 2 pint or 4 one cup size very clean glass jars with lids

Method

  • Mix fruit and nuts together in a bowl. Add salt, lemon juice, onion and spices, and mix well.
  • Using a wooden spoon, pack tightly into jar(s). Pound down so that the fruit is quite compressed and the liquid rises. Add water as necessary to bring liquid level with the fruit mixture, which should be about 1 inch below the top of the jar (you need to leave a little room for expansion during fermentation).
  • Keep at room temperature 2-4 days (open to check if it's fizzy/bubbly as this will confirm fermentation) before transferring to the refrigerator.