April McGreger is the owner of Farmer's Daughter Pickles & Preserves, a small batch preserving company focusing on the best of the local harvest in the North Carolina Piedmont. In addition to winning four Good Food Awards for her delicious jams and pickles, April teaches preserving classes and writes about food. She is an author of The Southern Foodways Alliance Community Cookbook, including a chapter on "Putting Up," and has a book coming out this fall titled Sweet Potatoes: A Savor the South Cookbook. <br /> <br />These black pepper-spiked preserves are a twist on traditional southern-style pear preserves, which are traditionally spooned over hot biscuits. They are cooked slow and low so that the syrup thickens but the pears retain their shape. They differ from most jams, which are cooked hard and fast, and have a thicker spreadable consistency. Black pepper lends a pungent complexity to this variation that makes them a natural for the cheese or charcuterie board. They are particularly magical spooned over warm crostini topped with a blend of ricotta and grated Pecorino Romano and drizzled with walnut oil such as Good Food Award finalist Glashoff Farm’s, Roasted Walnut Oil. <br /> <br />Note: It is important that you use very firm, underripe pears for these preserves or they will cook to mush.

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