By its very nature, food begins to spoil the moment it has been picked or harvested. Before refrigeration, commercial canning or artificial preservatives, people relied on the elements to preserve their food.

Early evidence of food preservation dates to Ancient Roman times, where primitive recipes illustrate attempts involving storing goods in honey or oil, or air-drying, pickling, fermenting or smoking. In these ancient recipes, there is constant reference to selecting the ‘best’ or most ‘perfect’ pieces of fruit. This highlights the fact that true preservation is about choosing produce at the height of its season and preserving it so it can be enjoyed year round.

Preserved, pickled or fermented fruit and vegetables can be found all around the world, from umeboshi plum in Japan and preserved lemons in Indian and North African cuisine to a variety of fruit jams everywhere and, of course, dill pickles, cornichons and gherkins, which are commonplace on our supermarket shelves. To avoid wastage, I even pickle watermelon rind – it’s a perfect match for cured meats.

With the huge industry of importing and exporting produce, the art of preserving food has somewhat lost its urgency in our modern diet. Many countries now rely on the seasonality patterns of other locations for their fruit and vegetables. However, in an attempt to eat as locally as possible, preserving is enjoying a renaissance, allowing us to eat perfectly ripe seasonal fruit all year long.

Preserving step-by-step tips

1. Sterilise heatproof jars and lids. Place, upside-down, on a clean tea towel until needed.
2. Use a melon baller to core the pears.
3. As you peel and core the pears, place in a bowl of acidulated water to prevent browning.
4. Place pear and sugar syrup in a sterilised jar and loosely secure lid. Place in a stockpot and add enough water to come three-quarters up side of jar.
5. Reserve raspberry pulp and serve with bottled pears and yoghurt.

To enjoy pears even in the off-season, have a go at Mike McEnearney delicious bottled pears with raspberry vinegar recipe. You can thank us later.