My family loves Comice pears, but they only appear in small numbers for a short period of time in the winter. Our addiction got started by my mother's work giving boxes of these pears to employees and some larger customers. And while we no longer receive these boxes, the pears remain one of our coveted winter foods. However, these pears go bad very quickly.
So what's one to do with pears that are just on the other side of eating raw? Cook them!
There is a strong fruit flavor to this sauce, with just a hint of spice and sweetness. It's also very much on the "sauce" side of the spectrum. This makes it perfect for smothering breakfast quickbreads with (biscuits, pancakes, waffles), and likely would go well as a sauce for pork chops. If you want something that's more like traditional applesauce, use a lot less water.
You can likely substitute whatever your favorite pears and apples are in this recipe, though different varieties will require different cooking times.
The Recipe
Ingredients
2 pears (I used Comice), peeled, cored, and roughly chopped
1 apple (I used Gala), peeled, cored, and roughly chopped
1 cup water
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg
Directions
Place all the ingredients in a medium saucepan and bring to a bubble, stirring to make sure it's mixed thoroughly. Cover, and turn the heat down to low. Let simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Once the fruit is tender, lightly mash it to your desired level of chunkiness. If the sauce is still too thin for you, let cook uncovered over low heat until it reaches the desired consistency.
Yield: A bit under 3 cups.
No comments:
Post a Comment