How to cook compote

Compote is one of the most popular homemade drinks. It is not only tasty and refreshing, but also very healthy, as it is made from vegetables, fruits, and berries. The very word "compote" has French roots; however, in Russia, the recipe for making the drink was known before it received this name. Back then, the modern compote, made from dried fruits and honey, was called "vzb (boil)." Compotes made from dried fruits are still popular today. There are recipes for homemade beverages that even involve the use of grains.

The basic technology for making compote is the same regardless of the ingredients: fruits, berries, vegetables, dried fruits, and other products are boiled in water for two to thirty minutes, then sweetened and infused for several hours.

Rules and secrets of preparation

Show ingredients

1. A wide variety of ingredients is suitable for making compote: fruits, vegetables, and berries. The most common and popular ingredients include: apple, pear, grape, raspberry, strawberry, blackberry, currant, cherry, peach, cranberry, sweet cherry, strawberry, apricot, plum, lingonberry, viburnum.
2. Hard fruits are boiled for ten to fifteen minutes, while tender berries are boiled for no longer than seven minutes, as they quickly turn to mush. Do not boil compote too long; otherwise, instead of a transparent drink, you will get puree.
3. All ingredients are placed in boiling water.
4. Before adding fruits and berries to the pot, you can add a little salt, literally on the tip of a teaspoon. This helps the ingredients release all their juice and nutrients better.
5. During the cooking process, the fruits, berries, and vegetables should not boil vigorously; they should simmer gently over low heat.
6. Instead of sugar, you can add any other sweeteners, such as honey, fructose, or sucrose. Keep in mind that honey should never be added to hot, especially boiling water, as it loses all its beneficial properties. If you want to use honey, add it only to cooled compote.
7. The compote will be more saturated and beautiful in color if the berries retain their seeds. You can also enhance the color by adding two drops of lemon juice.
8. The taste of the drink can be diversified by adding herbs and spices, such as mint, vanilla, cinnamon, lemon balm, lemongrass, allspice, and thyme.
9. Compote can be served with berries and fruits, or it can be strained to become transparent.

Compote from fresh berries and fruits

Compote made from fresh berries and fruits is most often prepared in summer when the ingredients are most available. Almost any berries and fruits are suitable, but a combination of sour and sweet ingredients is especially interesting. It is best to use about four different products – then the taste will be multi-faceted. Fruits are thoroughly washed, cut into slices, and if desired, the skin can be removed, leaving only the pulp. Berries are also thoroughly washed, cut into pieces, or added whole.

When the water in the pot boils, the hard ingredients are added, most often these are fruits. They are boiled for five to ten minutes, depending on the type of fruit used. Then, the berries are added, which are cooked for another ten minutes. At the final stage, sugar is added, the pot is covered with a lid, and the compote is infused for another twelve hours.

Compote from dried fruits

A well-prepared compote from dried fruits is very tasty and, most importantly, healthy, as dried fruits retain almost all the nutrients contained in fresh fruits. Compote made from dried fruits quenches thirst well and saturates the body with vitamins.

You will need the following ingredients: dried apples, pears, dried apricots, dates, and prunes. For one liter of liquid, you need one hundred grams of all dried fruits and a small glass of sugar. First, prepare the dried fruits: sort them, wash each piece thoroughly, and soak them in warm water for thirty minutes. Keep in mind that different dried fruits will take different times to cook. Dried pears and apples take longer to cook than dried apricots, dates, and prunes, so they should be added to the pot first. After the water boils, add the pears and apples to the pot and cook them for twenty minutes. After that, add the dried apricots, prunes, and dates and continue cooking for another five minutes. At the final stage, pour the sugar into the pot, leave the compote on the heat for another ten minutes, then turn off the burner, cover the pot with a lid, and let it infuse for twelve hours.

Compote made from frozen berries and fruits

In winter, when fresh berries are not available, preserved fruits made in summer, especially frozen berries, save the day and make a wonderful compote. Frozen berries and fruits should not be thawed before cooking to retain all their beneficial properties. Take them out of the freezer, leave them on the table for ten minutes to slightly thaw, and throw them into boiling water. The cooking time must be increased by five minutes in this case.

Making compote in a slow cooker

Compote made from apples can also be prepared in a slow cooker for a richer flavor. Take three liters of water, half a kilogram of apples, and a glass of sugar. Wash the fruits, cut out the cores, and slice them. Place the apples in the bowl of the slow cooker, sprinkle with sugar, pour in water, and cook the compote for thirty minutes on the "Stew" mode. Then let the compote infuse, strain it, cool it, and pour it into jars.

Compote as a winter preparation

Compote is one of the popular winter preparations. The drink prepared for winter is stored in sterilized and hermetically sealed jars. Usually, the amount of sugar is increased as it acts as a preservative. The fruits are placed in jars, poured with boiling water, then the liquid is drained from the jars into a pot, boiled, and then poured back into the jars. The jars are sterilized along with the compote by placing them for fifteen minutes in a pot with a towel at the bottom, which is on low heat.

Recipes

Recipe 1. Compote from currant puree

Black currants contain vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and the vital vitamin C. Compote made from black currants is especially beneficial for people with reduced immunity, as well as those suffering from gastrointestinal disorders. For three liters of liquid, you need half a kilogram of berries. Clean the currants from stems and leaves, wash them thoroughly and blend them into a puree. Add sugar to taste, mix thoroughly, add the puree to boiling water, and cook for two minutes. Turn off the heat, cover the pot with a lid, and let the compote infuse.

Recipe 2. Carrot compote

Compote can be made not only from berries and fruits but also from vegetables. Carrots are a great option – very beneficial for health. Clean four hundred grams of carrots and cut them into circles. To one liter of water, add five cloves, sugar, and cinnamon to taste, and bring the liquid to a boil. Pour the carrots with the syrup and cook for twenty to thirty minutes. Then add lemon juice and zest, cover the pot with a lid, and turn off the heat.

Recipe 3. Refreshing berry compote

You will need: apples, raspberries, mint, thyme, water, and sugar. Wash half a kilogram of apples, peel, and cut into slices. Blend two hundred grams of berries into a puree. Pour five liters of water into the pot, bring it to a boil, and add the apples. Cook for ten minutes, then add the raspberries, cook for another five minutes, and turn off the heat. At the end, add sugar, spices, and mint, and let the compote infuse under the lid.