Slow Cooker Pear Applesauce

After getting a produce basket this week fromwww.bountifulbaskets.org, I realized I had an abundance of apples and Asian pears.  My executive decision then is to create a delicious slow cooker version of an Asian pear applesauce.  I used very specific produce as it is what came in my produce co-op but you can use other varieties of apples and pears to suit your tastes as well.  Enjoy!

Slow Cooker Asian Pear Applesauce

Ingredients

o   3 medium ginger gold apples, peeled, cored, sliced

o   3 medium red gala apples peeled, cored, sliced

o   5 small Asian pears peeled, cored, sliced

o   1 tablespoon cinnamon

o   ¾ cup packed brown sugar

o   1 tablespoon vanilla extract

o   1 tablespoon lemon juice

 

Directions

1.    Add all ingredients into slow cooker, cook on low for 6-8 hours.  Blend or mash with fork, depending on the texture you are looking for.  The fruit will simply fall apart with a fork.  Enjoy warm or cold, over ice cream or oatmeal or alone. 

Overall

This is a recipe I have made a few times before and the recipe always varies with the produce I have on hand.  The end result is almost like a pie filling.  This dish is best served warm or cold.  It is sweet and delicious with flavors of apples, brown sugar and Asian pears.  Cook it long enough and you don’t even have to blend it as it falls apart from the sugars.  Delicious!

Frugality

The apples were $1.27 and the Asian pears were $1.27, both from my co-op basket this week.  Spices were on hand.  The grand total for this large pot of applesauce was $2.54.  You can hardly buy a jar of applesauce for this price and not nearly as delicious.

Look Forward To

Doing something with all of these plums, nectarines and tomatoes…