Over Thanksgiving break, my in-laws gave us a bin stuffed with pears from their trees. I love when they give us fruits and veggies, but seeing as it’s just Neil and I, we usually end up freezing quite a bit. I’ve been wanting to make crock pot applesauce for a while, but with a bushel of pears, I figure it couldn’t hurt to sauce some pears instead.
Wash and peel pears: Because the pears grow pretty uninterrupted by Neil’s parents, they are pretty au’ natural looking. They have little pots and divets and are quite a pain to peel. So what you see is me doing my best, but toward the end reconciling myself to a little leftover peel.
Core and slice: Comice pears are among the sweetest and juiciest of all pear varieties, so once they are peeled, things get sloppy pretty quickly. From the cutting board, the cored and sliced pieces go right into the crock pot.
Spice: Cover the top in a mix of cinnamon and ground ginger. In my batch, a little nutmeg might have found its way in too. It’s all about your preference and taste.
Water: Pour a cup of water over the top. This gives them a bit of extra moisture and helps some of the spice find it’s way down into the crock pot.
Low and slow: Simmer in the crock pot on low for several hours. Time will vary, but cook until the fruit is very soft. It smells amazing!
Mash and cool: Once soft, drain off excess liquid, and mash with a potato masher or blend in a blender or food processor. Once mashed, allow to cool, then place in freezer bags.
All done, pear sauce, ready for the freezer! You can also store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for a week. I go through tons of applesauce in baking as a sub for oil and butter, so I have a feeling I will use a good bit of this before this year is over. Enjoy!
Pear Sauce, Never thought about it, but its so obviously easy!? Looks tasty! I’m sure a much different flavor then one would be used to with Apple Sauce. YUM!
It definitely tastes like pear, and the overall sweetness is less than with apples (in my opinion). A lot of recipes called for extra sugar, but I didn’t add any. It does just fine on it’s own. It’s a great go-to when you come across marked-down fruit at the grocery store.