Yup, fall has appeared here in NE Ohio this week. Cooler temps, falling leaves, and APPLES! I have said before, summer is really my favorite season, but I will concede, there are some great things about fall too!
Like apples.
I get really excited when the local apples start showing up at the grocery stores.
One of my very favorite things to make with fresh apples is Crockpot Chunky Gingered Applesauce. It's incredibly easy and super delicious....and VERY diet friendly. This version is a bit of a variation on that recipe. The addition of pears to the sauce gives it amazing flavor and texture. I used Ginger Gold apples and Bartlett pears for this sauce. We all loved it! But feel free to substitute any variety of apple/pear you prefer.
The ratio of apples to pears I used was 8 apples to 4 pears. It produced a nice thick, chunky sauce which is delicious eaten warm or cold, alone or as a side dish to pork or chicken, or one of my favorite ways to enjoy it, over some Greek yogurt. In the original recipe, I used apple cider, but this time I elected to not add any and it worked out fine. I did, however, add the juice of half a lemon. This was not an ingredient in the original recipe. I also didn't have any fresh ginger on hand, so I used what I had in my spice cabinet. This also worked out fine. But you could use fresh grated ginger if you prefer.
Make this delicious treat today! Or as soon as you can! You won't be sorry....nope, you'll be happy you did!
Crockpot Gingered Apple/Pear Sauce
Servings - approx. 16 ( about a quart of sauce) Serving Size - 1/2 cup Points Plus per Serving - 2 Points+ or 0 Point+*
Calories - 71.7, Total Fat - 0.3g, Carb. - 19.1g, Protein - 0.3g, Fiber - 2.9g
( *this is a recipe that falls into the gray
area of computing points plus values for. If you input the info into
recipe builder and assume each serving is approx. 1/2 cup each with a
total of approx. 16 servings, you get a point+ value of 2, whether you
use the sugar or not. So it is up to you whether you
decide to count this as 2 points+ or zero point+. )
8 medium sized (2 3/4" dia) fresh apples, peeled, cored and diced
4 medium sized (approx. 2 1/2 per pound) fresh pears, peeled, cored and diced
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground ginger
1 - 2 TBSP brown sugar
Juice of half a lemon
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1. Combine all ingredients in a slowcooker and stir to combine. Cook on LOW for 6 - 8 hrs or on HIGH for 4 - 5 hours or until the apples and pears are soft and break apart when stirred. You can mash up the fruit with a potato masher or a fork or wooden spoon to your desired chunkiness.
2. Serve warm or cold. Store any leftovers in a covered container in the refrigerator.
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Even I had to admit, yesterday was a spectacular fall day here. The sun was shining bright and the air was cool. If every fall day could be like yesterday, I might be won over! lol There really is nothing like apples and pumpkins and pears to get you into the spirit of fall.
I have made the original version of this sauce dozens of times after discovering it. It is absolutely delicious. The ginger gives it just a bit of heat...so good. I think I might even like this new version even better though. Such a great texture and flavor with the two fruit combo. And really? Can it get much healthier than this?
Now that I am seeing some benefits to this season....like cooler days for walking in the woods, vibrant colors and the tastes of fall...I'd like to know what are your favorite things about fall?
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I know I will be making this recipe soon. I missed the Farmer's Mkt today but will try to get there next week for some local fresh produce for this recipe. Yum! It's heating back up here in the high 90's so it doesn't feel like fall at all.
ReplyDeleteI love the cool evenings and the crisp fall mornings for walking outside. The colorful leaves on the trees, the crunch they make when the sidewalk is covered with them.
Of course apples, pumpkin, cranberries and all kinds of squash! Soups and stews simmering all day in the crock pot and getting to wear light weight jackets and little sweater sets. I love fall! :)
This looks delicious! YUM and versatile too.
ReplyDeleteAny reason to use the crockpot is a winner in my book :)
I don't like applesauce from the store but I LOOOVE homemade! Now I have a craving! I really like that you added pear. Sounds killer.
ReplyDeleteHi Renee. I'll be giving this a go sometime soon. I love autumn, but feel sad summer is over this year. The colors, the harvest, the crisp in the air...it really is a wonderful time of year up here in Vancouver. We're lucky. Hope all is well down in your neck of the woods.
ReplyDeleteWaaao that's wonderful I have tried it on last weekend. My wife and my 3 years old kid loved it very much and asked me to prepare it again next weekend.
ReplyDeleteHannah and I used to go apple picking every fall when she was growing up - I cooked applesauce too, but I did it on the stove - love the idea of putting it in a crock pot and adding pears to the mix!
ReplyDeleteI love crisp mornings when you only need a light jacket!