i’ve a resident cricket outside my window. this I only conclude as it’s been several days and his chirping is persistent and sincere. i’ve admittedly tried to knock on the window and the wall to rouse him, but to no avail. the most curious fact is that his chirps are slowing. slowing their tempo and separating from the chorus. it is officially fall now and he knows it.
other souls have been anticipating the cooling of temperature – the tomatillos in the garden. each year we seem to plant too many – but I always ask myself when they finally fruit, what constitutes as too many? their husked lanterns have swelled with fruit beneath the cooling of temperature, dropping their branches low to the ground. the tomatillos have arrived in mass.
tomatillos have a fair amount of pectin that lends itself effortlessly to a jammy consistency. this is perfect in union with autumn pears and late and fiery habaneros. a tangy, spicy, sweet mixture that is best spread on toast or swirled into yogurt. I recommend the presence of the habanero, but even just the tomatillo and pear sing brightly. If you wanted to exclude the heat you could easily do so.
- 1 lb tomatillos, husks removed and halved
- 1 lb of pear (about 2 large) roughly chopped
- 1 habanero, finely minced
- 1 cup of sugar
- 1 cup water
- Gather tomatillo, pear, and habanero into a medium heavy bottomed sauce pan.
- Add sugar and water and stir ingredients to lightly combine.
- Heat over medium high, bring to a boil, then lower to a warm simmer for 40 minutes to 1 hour. In this period the fruit should break down and gel. If needed, help fruit mash.
- Enjoy with toast, yogurt, ice cream, or any way you can dream.
Danielle, I’m dying — this is so simple and beautiful <3 As is your lovely writing. I actually love listening to crickets, especially as I go to sleep. It's rhythmic chirping is strangely soothing. I also love tomatillos and love that you paired them with sweet and spicy <3 Homemade jams are one of the best end of summer things.
I love jam as a method of preservation Audrey – it is truly enjoyable. I feel as though I may need counseling for my fondness for spicy sometimes, but it just seems so natural and delicious to me. I, too, enjoy a good symphony of crickets – especially on the whims of evening dreams. Thank you for your lovely thoughts and words, happy weekend. ♥
I love your idea to turn these beautiful tomatillos into jam! The pairing of tomatillos and pears is inspired. I laughed at your questioning what constitutes too many tomatillos? In my world there is no such thing 🙂 I am working on canning what I have left in my kitchen. Your photos are so great!
P.S. for some strange reason I thought you lived in Australia. Your Instagram feed just showed me how wrong I was haha! I loved learning a bit more about you. My grandmother was a bird watcher and it travelled down to my mom…I have yet to take up the tradition.
xo
Thank you so much lovely Kathryn! The idea for tomatillo and pear was definitely one of my fever dreams – but unobtrusively they communicate well with one another. We’ve also been canning like crazy: corn salsa, zucchini relish, tomato salsas for days and marinara for millenniums. Canning is such a relaxing and celebratory activity for me! And Australia!? I admittedly giggled a little – it just goes to show how vast and mysterious the internet can truly be! We never really know until we really know. I really love that you have bird-watching in your family – birds are some of the strangest creatures I have ever observed – but it’s rewarding nonetheless! I may have to send you a pair if binoculars from across my sea 😉 Have a good weekend!
Hi Danielle! So happy to land on your blog and thanks for leaving such a sweet comment on mine! Your pictures and recipes are gorgeous and I’m especially in love with this tomatillo jam. We also grew tomatillos this year (also maybe too many), but I never thought of having them with pears….this looks so interesting and delicious. Did you eat it more like a salsa or a jam? or somewhere in between?
Thank you so much for the visit Sofia, it’s a true pleasure to have your presence – and thank you. I’m really excited that you like this recipe – it was a strange combination to dream of, but it works so beautifully. Somebody told me recently that they substituted with jalapeno and maple syrup for pepper and sugar – which is just as intriguing. I ate this more like a jam, although its application is rather giving. I also used it in yogurt. Dually, it would make a good condiment or accompaniment to a protein source I imagine. ♥