This is not your grandmother’s apple (or pear!) sauce. This sassy, sweet concoction is enhanced with ginger and nutmeg — an unlikely combination that totally works.

The creating of this recipe was totally by necessity. I just couldn’t let the fruit in my fridge down …

See, when I opened my refrigerator this morning, I was greeted with some sad produce (has that ever happened to you?). Try as I might, I have fallen far behind on my cooking. We eat veggies nightly, but not as many as I usually cook. We have cabbage begging to be used, corn to feed a crowd and lots of apples.

And then there were these three sad-looking pears. I adore pears, but seldom grab one to snack on. And these three formerly lovely pears were covered in brown spots. If my husband saw them, he would send them straight to the compost pile. But why? Why can’t they be salvaged?

So I set to work, peeling, chopping and mixing. I added a little apple, a touch of honey, some lime … and then the spices. Ground ginger and nutmeg. Finish it off with a bit of water, and we were set to see how this experiment works. Fortunately, it was delicious, and paired nicely with homemade hash browns.

What are you cooking today?

Spiced Pear Apple Sauce
yields about 2 cups

3 ripe pears, peeled and roughly chopped
1 apple, peeled, cored and diced
1 tbsp lime juice
1 tbsp honey
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 cup water
a scant pinch of salt

Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and cook until apples are all softened, about 15 minutes.

Mush with a potato masher to desired consistency. Cook, uncovered, until thickened, about 5 to 7 minutes.

Let cool slightly before transferring to an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator for up to a week.