This homemade Pear Sauce is filled with the flavors of fresh pears, a touch of apple, and vanilla. Adapt this sauce to suit your taste by mixing up the flavorings and making it chunky or smooth.
½vanilla bean, split lengthwiseoptional (see notes)
Instructions
Peel and core the apples and pears. Chop the pears into large bite-sized chunks and cut the apples a little smaller than that (the apples will take a bit longer to cook, so the difference in size will help them finish cooking at the same time).
Place the apples, pears, water, and vanilla bean in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer, covered for 25-30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Depending on how much moisture is in your fruit you might need to add more water during cook time. If it seems dry, or is sticking to the bottom, add a few tablespoons of water.
After 25 minutes, remove the lid and allow the mixture to simmer uncovered until the fruit is tender and easily mashable. Continue to add more water, if necessary. If you accidentally add too much water, just let the mixture simmer uncovered until the extra liquid evaporates.
Remove the vanilla bean and allow to cool slightly. Use your fingers to squeeze the remaining seeds into the applesauce, discarding the pod. Use a potato masher to mash the apples and pears into a chunky sauce, or use an immersion blender to blend it into a smooth sauce.
Notes
Choose a sweeter variety of apple for this recipe. I like Jonagold, Cameo, Empire, Golden Delicious, Fuji, or Gala.
If you'd prefer not to use a vanilla bean, you can stir ¼ to ½ teaspoon of vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste into the pear sauce after cooking.
OTHER FLAVOR OPTIONS (to be added while the fruit is cooking):
½ teaspoon cinnamon (more or less to taste)A few pinches of nutmeg, ginger or cardamom Finely grated zest of a small orangeA handful of fresh cranberriesPlay around with the flavorings to suit your taste.