Recipe - Pear-Plum Spread

4 md Pears
2 teaspoon Ascorbic acid color keeper
5 Red plums
1 teaspoon Whole cloves
1 small Piece fresh ginger, optional
1 Cinnamon stick 3"
One half cup Water
9 teaspoon Artificial sugar = to sugar*

* Recipe suggests 9 aspartame tablets crushed. Liquid sweetener would
require 2 One fourth tsp (my note).

Peel and core pears; chop coarsely. Place in a large saucepan and sprinkle
with ascorbic acid color keeper. Remove pits from plums and cut each plum
into 8 pieces. Stir plums into pears.

Wrap plum pits, cloves and ginger, if desired, in a piece of cheesecloth
and place under some of the fruit. Add cinnamon stick and water.

Cover, bring to a boil and simmer 15 to 20 min or until fruit is tender.
Discard spice bag and cinnamon stick. Puree fruit mixture in a blender or
food processor or press through a sieve.

Return to saucepan. Simmer, uncovered 15 to 20 min or until mixture coats
a metal spoon.

Remove from heat. Stir in sweetener. Ladle into hot clean jars leaving
One half inch headspace. Wipe jar rims, seal. Process 10 min in a boiling water
bath. Store in a cool, dark, dry place.

Processing may be omitted if spreads are to be used within a short period
of time. Store in the fridge up to 1 month or freezer up to 3 months.

Makes about 3 One fourth cups, each serving 1 tbsp 3 g carbohydrate, 12 calories,
1 ++ extra

Source: Choice Cooking, Canadian Diabetes Association 1986 Shared but not
tested by Elizabeth Rodier Aug 93

From Gemini's MASSIVE MealMaster collection at www.synapse.com/~gemini