Name: Instant Pot Cinnamon Pear Applesauce
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 4 min
Total time: 24 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: US
Ingredients: 4 large apples, cored and chopped; 2 large pears, cored and chopped; ¼ c. water or sugar-free apple juice; 2 t. ground cinnamon; 1 T. fresh lemon juice; Optional: 1-2 T. honey

Applesauce is one of the staples of that jar drawer that we all have around to add to meals, especially things like pork (or so Robert tells me). Homemade applesauce takes it to a new level and this Instant Pot Cinnamon Pear Applesauce is a new category altogether! Adding the flavours of pear along with cinnamon to the classic apple sauce creates a delicious accompaniment that works well in all sorts of dishes. Want to see how you make it?

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What apples work best for applesauce?

While this is ultimately your choice, I have a few recommendations for you to think about. Sweet apples like Gala, Honeycrisp, and even red delicious will provide a lot of the natural sweetness to this homemade applesauce recipe, so those are all excellent options.

Granny Smith apples can also be used to make different dishes. If you want something more tart, granny smith may easily provide it for you as well. If you desire something sweeter, add in a little extra honey later on.

If you don’t have access to a lot of sweet apples, don’t worry. Extra honey or natural tastes like cinnamon can be added in to enhance the taste.

Simply rinse, peel and core the apples before cooking them to ensure that there are no issues or surprises when they’re done.

What type of pears should I use?

You may use as many pears as you like, depending on your taste, what’s available, and how cheap they are.

I prefer Bartlett pears because they’re always on sale for a fraction of the price of other varieties, but I’ve also cooked with D’Anjou pears, Bosc, and Red D’Anjou. You may use a combination of various pears or just one variety.

The most important thing to remember is that the pears must be ripe. Ripe pears will be slightly soft to the touch and have a wonderful scent and flavor.

This recipe is not recommended for use with Asian Pears.

What you need to make Cinnamon Pear Applesauce

4 large apples, cored and chopped
2 large pears, cored and chopped
¼ c. water or sugar-free apple juice
2 t. ground cinnamon
1 T. fresh lemon juice
Optional: 1-2 T. honey

How to make the recipe

Combine apples, pears, water, ground cinnamon, and fresh lemon juice in Instant Pot and stir to combine. Add lid and lock into place. Switch the vent to “Sealing” and set the “Manual” setting to 4 minutes.

When cook time is complete, allow pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes, then manually release any remaining pressure.

Taste and add honey to sweeten, if desired. Carefully transfer mixture to a food processor or high-powered blender and blend until smooth. (For chunkier results, use an immersion blender instead).

Serve immediately, or transfer to airtight containers and place in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Can be stored in the refrigerator for up to one week.

Storing the recipe

You can store unused sauce in the fridge once it has cooled down for up to a week. Or you can freeze it to get a longer lifespan.

Use freezer-safe jars or plastic containers to freeze applesauce or pear sauce. For this year’s sauce, I used a combination of freezer-safe glass jars and freezer-friendly plastic containers with twist on lids.

I use canning jars with a line on them indicating the maximum fill height for freezing. My standard practice for plastic containers is to provide at least 1/2 inch of headspace above the top to accommodate expansion.

Allow the sauce to cool before freezing it. I’ve discovered that if I put warm dishes in my deep chest freezers, the sides of the containers build up more ice chunks, which is just a pain later when it becomes so thick you have to clean it off.

To ensure the sauce doesn’t leak out of my jars, I let it cool to room temperature before closing them and writing on the lid with a permanent marker what’s inside and when it was made. Then I put it in the fridge to chill. Once it’s chilled, I place it in the freezer. Fruit sauce can last for up to a year but after that it loses some flavour and can get freezer burn

Recipe tips

For added fibre, do not peel the apples or pears prior to cooking. The final result will still be incredibly smooth and creamy after blending.

This super easy and versatile applesauce recipe tastes even better after a day or two. It can be enjoyed immediately, however, served alongside savoury dishes such as Pork Roast or with cottage cheese or creamy Greek yoghurt for breakfast.

Yield: 4 portions