St. Charles Borromeo was born in the mid-16th century to a prominent Italian family. His mother was a member of the House of Medici, and his father was the Count of Arona. At an early age, he dedicated himself to service to the Church. His uncle, Pope Pius IV, called him to Rome as an assistant and advisor to him, making him a cardinal a month later, at the age of 23. He was ordained to the priesthood at age 25 and a bishop only three months later. He spent much of his episcopacy driving out corruption and restoring integrity to the Church. Much of his time was dedicated to educating clergy and founding seminaries. His tireless work eventually led to illness, and he died at 46. He was canonized by Pope Paul V on November 1, 1610. St. Charles Borromeo is the patron saint of bishops, cardinals, seminarians, and catechists. For an unspecified reason, most likely because of his desire to feed the hungry, he is also the patron saint of apple orchards! A great treat to celebrate this autumn feast day is with this bourbon-infused apple butter. It’s great on so many things!
Ingredients
3 pounds Fuji apples (about seven medium apples), peeled, cored, and cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 10 cups)
4 cups fresh (100% apple) unsweetened apple cider
1/2 cup granulated sugar
4 ounces of bourbon
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Directions
