Cranberry sauce and cranberry apple chutney are my favorite Thanksgiving sauces. But I’ve never been able to find cranberries not sold in a plastic bag. It occurred to me that instead of trying to find plastic-free cranberries I should try to make a different kind of chutney with plastic-free ingredients. I came up with this recipe for pear raisin chutney, and it tastes great. This doesn’t mean I’m having a plastic-free Thanksgiving though. I’m still making cranberry sauce. My family would be really angry if we didn’t have it, especially my little sister. I think if I denied her cranberry sauce she would cut my hair off in my sleep! But if you want a totally plastic-free Thanksgiving, this is the recipe for you. Here are the ingredients you need:

• 3 lbs d’anjou pears
• 2 cups packed brown sugar (I bought it in bulk)
• 2 cups apple cider vinegar (I bought it in a glass bottle, but it unfortunately has a plastic lid. I’m going to reuse the bottle.)
• 1 onion (I don’t know what kind I used. It was some kind of heirloom onion I found at the farmers market. A yellow or white onion will work.)
• 2 tbsp fresh ginger
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 cup raisins (I bought them in bulk)
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (This is in a little plastic container. My family bought it years ago and I’m using it up. I’ll buy it in bulk when I run out.)
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon (I bought it in bulk)
• 1/2 tsp ground cloves (Same story as the cayenne pepper)
• 2 tsp yellow mustard seed (Same story as the cayenne pepper and ground cloves)

Core and dice the pears, but don’t peel them.

Chop the onion. Mince the garlic and ginger.

Combine brown sugar and apple cider vinegar in a medium pot. Bring to a boil.

Add pears, onions, ginger, garlic, raisins, cayenne pepper, salt, cinnamon, ground cloves and mustard seed.

Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for an hour to and hour and a half, or until thick and greatly reduced. Mine looked like this.

I ate some with lentil cauliflower dal for dinner tonight. It would also be good with nutloaf, tourtière and of course Thanksgiving turkey. Enjoy!