Welcome in the crisp days of autumn with this delicious and easy to make Spiced Pear-Applesauce.
Labor Day signals the unofficial end of Summer, and I for one, am totally ready for crisp autumn weather. Truth be told, my preferred temperature range is somewhere between 57 and 64 degrees – something I like to call boots-n-sweater weather – and when that one week arrives, I am a happy girl indeed.
The arrival of Fall also means the arrival of apple-picking season. Our favorite local orchard is Helene's Hilltop Orchard in Merrill, where, if I'm honest, although the pumpkin and apple picking is top-notch, the main draw is their freshly-baked apple cider donuts. And we never leave without at least a half-gallon of apple cider.
Although we haven't yet done any apple-picking this season, I couldn't help but pick up a few apples (along with a couple of pears) at the market to make a quick batch of spiced pear-applesauce this past weekend. The pears break down almost completely in this sauce, while the apples retain their shape. I prefer a more rustic sauce, but if you like yours with a smooth consistency, use a blender or food processor to puree the sauce to your desired texture.
This pear-applesauce gets an additional dose of flavor with Chai spices including ginger, cardamom, nutmeg, cinnamon, clove, and allspice. Feel free to play around with the ratio of spices to match your tastebuds. If you don't have all of these spices on hand, at the very least I'd recommend adding cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger.
Spiced Pear-Applesauce (printer-friendly version)
makes about 4 cups
2 Bartlett pears, peeled, cored, and quartered
4 ginger gold apples, peeled, cored, and quartered
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground clove
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon vanilla
1. Add the quartered pears and apples to the bowl of a slow cooker. (I used my small 2-quart bowl.)
2. Stir in the lemon juice, ginger, cardamom, nutmeg, cinnamon, clove, allspice, and vanilla.
3. Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook on low for 4 hours. If you prefer a chunkier sauce, it should be good to go. If you prefer a smoother sauce, use an immersion blender or puree in batches using a regular blender until the sauce reaches your preferred consistency.
4. Spoon the sauce into an airtight container and refrigerate for up to one week.
makes about 4 cups
2 Bartlett pears, peeled, cored, and quartered
4 ginger gold apples, peeled, cored, and quartered
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground clove
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon vanilla
1. Add the quartered pears and apples to the bowl of a slow cooker. (I used my small 2-quart bowl.)
2. Stir in the lemon juice, ginger, cardamom, nutmeg, cinnamon, clove, allspice, and vanilla.
3. Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook on low for 4 hours. If you prefer a chunkier sauce, it should be good to go. If you prefer a smoother sauce, use an immersion blender or puree in batches using a regular blender until the sauce reaches your preferred consistency.
4. Spoon the sauce into an airtight container and refrigerate for up to one week.
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