Pear-Ginger-Apple Butter

I was in the grocery store the other day when I overheard a conversation about apple Butter. That reminded me of how much I loved it growing up, & that I had never made it.

After some research & a careful review of the "aging” fruit in my garage pantry, I was determined to make a variation of the traditional apple butter recipe. Still good. But even better. The process of layering flavor upon flavor always adds depth & variety to any recipe. I needed to use apples, pears, & ginger. This seemed like the perfect way to do it. Plus, anything with alcohol in it tastes better.

I am on this big kick not to waste, since we have been participating in the fruit & vegetables co-op on a bi-weekly basis. This challenges me to come up with new recipes to encompass the produce we get,& not let anything go to waste.

Pear-Ginger-Apple Butter

Ingredients

2 pounds apples (preferably Granny Smith)

2 pounds red Pears

1 cup fresh peeled Ginger (cut into thin slices)

1 cup Water

1 cup dark Rum

4 cups Sugar

A pinch of Salt

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon Allspice

Juice of 3 Lemons

Equipment Needed

1 wide 8-quart pan (Stainless steel or copper with stainless steel lining)

A food mill or potato ricer

6-8 8-ounce canning jars

First Stage of Cooking:

Cut the apples & pears into quarters, without peeling them. Cut out the seeds. Put the apples, pears, and ginger chunks into large pot (I use my Dutch oven), then add the vinegar, sugar and dark rum. Cover, bring to a boil, and reduce heat to simmer. Cook the apples, ginger and pears about 45 minutes, until they are very soft. Remove from heat.

Ladle the apple-pear-ginger mixture into a potato ricer, or food mill over a medium sized bowl. Add a dash of salt, and the cinnamon, ground cloves, allspice, lemon rind and juice. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary.

Second Stage of Cooking:

Once you run the entire batch through the potato ricer or food mill, cook the mixture in an uncovered, large, wide, thick-bottomed pot on medium low heat, stirring constantly to prevent burning. I use my Dutch oven. It is perfect for this. Scrape the bottom of the pot while you stir to make sure a crust is not forming at the bottom. Cook until thick and smooth (about 1 to 2 hours).

Canning Steps:

To sterilize my jars for canning, I run them through a cycle in the dishwasher, using very hot water. When your apple-pear butter mixture is ready, pour the mixture into sterilized jars and seal. If you plan to store the apple butter un-refrigerated, make sure to follow proper canning procedures. Before applying the lids, sterilize the lids by placing them in a bowl and pouring boiling water over them. Wipe the rims of the jars clean before applying the lids. I process the jars-sealed, in a boiling hot water bath for 20 minutes to ensure a good seal.

Roasted Sweet Potato-Carrot Mash

I served this at Christmas dinner, rather than my usual cheesy potatoes. It was a nice variation, & much healthier. The sweet potatoes and yams inclusion made it really sweet, even though there is no sugar added. The carrots were a really nice touch. All of the veggies were from my last Bountiful Baskets order. Yummmmm!

Roasted Sweet Potato-Carrot Mash

Ingredients:

2 medium sized Yukon Gold Potatoes

2 large Sweet Potatoes

2 large Yams

3 Rustic Carrots (yellow, red, & orange)

3/4 cup Heavy Cream

Salt & Pepper

3 tablespoons Butter

1 cup Chicken stock

1 cup water (Optional)

Directions:

Begin by washing, and peeling the carrots & potatoes. Slice all of the potatoes lengthwise in a horizontal direction. Preheat oven to 375. Grease a cookie sheet with sides, with a little olive oil.

Roast the carrots & potatoes for about 20-25 minutes, Turning at least twice, so they don’t burn or develop a hard crusty exterior.

Remove potatoes & carrots from baking sheet & dice into large bit sized pieces. Add salt & chicken stock to a large pot & cook potatoes, and carrots in stock over a medium-low heat until tender. You may need to add a little water as they cook down, to avoid burning. Stir regularly. Once finished, using a potato masher, mash them into a fine pulp. Add butter, & cream. With a hand style blender finish blending until the mixture has a creamy consistency & all lumps are gone. Season with salt & pepper.