What is it about fall that makes me want to cook? Perhaps it’s the cool, crisp air that makes baking enjoyable. Maybe fall cooking is about enjoying the bounty of the gardens, woods, and fields. It could be that fall is also the start of the season that involves family and friends getting together. For me, it’s all of the above.
Sure, I cook throughout the year. I grill, barbecue, and smoke meats and fish, but fall is different. I hate baking in summer because of the heat. I tend to eat less when it’s hot, and when I do eat, my meals tend to be lighter.
For me, fall means stews, hearty soups and chowders, fresh bread, pies, and the following recipes. I love to use ingredients that are abundant and in season, and I use a lot of alcohol, particularly whiskey.
Please feel free to make each of these dishes your own.
Bourbon and Maple Applesauce Recipe
Yield: 8 cups.
- 8 apples (optional: chopped)
- 1 cup maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/2 cup bourbon whiskey
- Rinse, core, and peel the apples. Place into a large pot and cover with just enough water to keep the apples from burning.
- Cook on high for about 15 minutes and then reduce heat to medium. Cook for another 5 minutes and then reduce to simmer.
- Mash apples in the pot. Stir in maple syrup, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Bring heat back to medium, and cook for another 5 minutes.
- Add bourbon and cook for about 10 minutes.
- Reduce heat to simmer and allow mixture to cook for about an hour or until you get the desired consistency. Remove from heat and cool.
Rhubarb, Blackberry, Maple, and Bourbon Sauce Recipe
I really love rhubarb, and come September, there’s never a shortage of it, except in my garden. Thankfully, I have friends who supply me with all the rhubarb I can use. I always say go big or go home. For this recipe, my intent is to make enough to can and gift. Yield: 14 to 16 small jelly jars.
- 10 cups rhubarb, chopped into
- 3/4-to-1-inch pieces
- 2 cups blackberries, frozen or fresh
- 2 cups water
- 1 cup bourbon whiskey
- 1/2 to 1 cup maple syrup
- Add rhubarb, blackberries, and water to a large pot and bring to a boil, stirring often.
- Reduce heat to medium and add bourbon and maple syrup.
- Cook for about 20 minutes or until rhubarb is tender.
- Reduce heat to simmer.
- Using a potato masher, start mashing all the ingredients together.
- Continue to simmer for another 10 minutes.
- Turn off heat and allow to cool and thicken.
Sharing the Bounty
Remember, recipes are just guidelines. Feel free to change things up. Take advantage of the cool weather and the bounty the land provides. Get cooking, and get the entire family involved.
Do what I do and make enough to share with others.
More Fall Favorite Recipes
Baked Pheasant Recipe with Bacon & Apples
Originally published as “Fall Favorites” in the November/December 2024 issue of GRIT magazine and regularly vetted for accuracy.
Dana Benner has been writing about all aspects of the outdoors and sustainability for 35 years, with his work appearing in regional and national publications.
