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Strawberry Compote Recipe

If you’re craving something sweet but don’t want to bake a cake, then perhaps making your own strawberry compote is the answer.

It has only three ingredients (plus sugar), so it won’t take much time to prepare, and you can use it in lots of different ways – from spreading over toast or pancakes, to adding to ice cream sundaes and mochas.

How Many Strawberries Do You Need For This Recipe?

You should get about a pound of whole ripe strawberries, depending on how small they are.

If they’re larger than golf balls, then cut them into quarters first.

You may also have some frozen berries available if you buy them by the bag at the store.

The amount of sugar will depend on whether you prefer a sweeter taste or not.

But most recipes usually call for one cup, which isn’t too bad since you can always adjust the sweetness after cooking.

It will make a big difference when using this compote as an ingredient in desserts like cakes, muffins, or even yogurt parfaits.

Strawberry Compote Recipe

What Other Fruit Can You Add To Strawberry Compote?

You can also mix up your compote by using any other type of berry or stone fruit.

Try peaches with blueberries, raspberries with blackberries, plums with cherries, or nectarines with apricots.

To really get creative, try mixing up some types of fruits together.

You could have an orange-raspberry compote if you wanted to serve it at brunch, or combine kiwis and pears to create a fruity dessert.

The possibilities are endless!

How Do You Make A Compote?

Compotes are made by cooking fruits with added sugar until they soften up and become syrupy.

You could think of them as desserts on steroids – they have way more sweetness than their raw counterparts, which means less work for you!

This particular recipe uses strawberries because they are one of our favorites, but if you prefer rhubarb instead, go ahead and swap out the berries for some.

If you need inspiration, check out our list of best fruit-based jams and jellies.

Here’s how to make this classic summer treat:

  • Wash and hull your strawberries
  • Put them in an ovenproof pan or bowl
  • Add 1 cup of water and 2 tablespoons of granulated white sugar per half pound of strawberries
  • Cover with foil and cook on low heat for about 30 minutes.
  • After the first 15 minutes, stir the mixture every 5 minutes so that all the pieces get evenly heated through.
  • Remove the cover when the strawberries start to break down into smaller pieces and thicken up slightly.
  • Stir in another tablespoon of sugar if needed
  • Let cool completely before serving

What Is The Difference Between A Compote And A Jam?

A compote is made by cooking fruit with some sort of liquid until the mixture becomes thick enough to hold its shape when spooned onto a plate.

It can also include other ingredients like nuts or spices.

Jam on the other hand is cooked fruit that isn’t quite as thick.

You might find that your jams are runny if they aren’t processed properly, which means that they will spread out more easily than a compote would.

Compotes tend to have a sweeter taste because they contain less water than jellies and preserves.

In fact, many recipes call for just one tablespoon of sugar per cup of fruit, whereas traditional jams often require two tablespoons.

The term ‘compote’ comes from the French word meaning “cooked down”.

Think about how well-roasted vegetables retain their flavor after being slowly simmered into a rich sauce. That’s what happens here too!

Strawberry Compote Recipe2

How Long Does Strawberry Compote Last?

Strawberries are always going to keep well in the fridge, even if they have been harvested straight off the bush.

They will continue to ripen after picking, which means that there should be plenty left by the end of summer for this recipe.

However, depending on how ripe the berries were when picked, some may still need cooking to make them fully ready to eat.

There’s no way of knowing exactly what stage they will reach until you cook them, so we recommend checking out our guide to strawberries before you start preparing this recipe.

You could also try freezing half of the compote at one point during its preparation, to see whether it retains enough flavor to serve later.

Ingredients

  • 1 pound strawberries, hulled and cut into chunks
  • 6 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • Juice of 1/4 lemon

The amount of sugar depends on whether you prefer sweeter or less-sweet flavors.

If you choose more sugar, you might find that the fruit starts to caramelize slightly while it cooks down.

However, if you prefer a lighter taste, feel free to reduce the quantity of sugar.

Can You Freeze Strawberry Compote?

Making your own strawberry compote is super simple, and there are no rules about how long it should stay good in the freezer.

You could easily make a batch on Sunday morning, pop them into the fridge overnight, and have them ready to go when you need them later in the week.

However, if you’d like to keep some fresh strawberries around all year round, you might consider freezing the compote instead.

If you do plan to store some frozen, though, remember to check their expiry date before using them!

The benefits of freezing compotes

Freezing any fruit will preserve its flavor better than just leaving it at room temperature, which means that it will taste fresher when you’ve thawed it out again.

This isn’t just true of compotes, either.

The same rule applies to jams, jellies, sauces, chutneys, sorbets, and other preserves, so they’ll retain their flavors longer after being frozen too.

When you thaw these foods out, you may notice that they’re not quite as soft as freshly made versions would be.

That’s because the texture changes slightly when things freeze solid, so it doesn’t matter whether you buy them pre-made or put together yourself.

In fact, this slight change in consistency is actually desirable when serving frozen food, since it gives it more staying power.

For example, once you defrosted a bowl of ice cream and spooned it onto a plate, you wouldn’t necessarily want to scoop another helping straight away – you’d probably prefer to wait until the initial portion had melted down a little first.

Strawberry Compote Recipe3

What Do You Eat Compote With?

Compotes are made by cooking fruit until most of its water evaporates, leaving behind concentrated sugars and flavorings which form the base of this tasty treat.

The key to making a good compote is timing – if you cook it too long, you risk losing all of those lovely flavors, while if you leave it too short, the fruit will end up mushy.

The best way to achieve an ideal texture is to let the fruit simmer slowly on the stovetop, stirring occasionally. Depending on how juicy the fruit is, you may need to add some liquid such as water at intervals throughout the process.

If you prefer not to have added liquid, then simply place the pan under running hot tap water after every few minutes so that excess moisture is removed.

Once cooked, remove the compote from the heat and allow it to cool completely before transferring into jars or containers.

You can keep it in the fridge for up to two weeks, although we suggest eating it within one week to retain maximum flavor.

What Is The Origin Of Compote?

Compotes are one type of jam.

They have been around since medieval times, when they were originally made by boiling fruit down into syrup, then straining out any solids before bottling up for later consumption.

These days, compotes tend to contain many more fruits than just apples and pears, sometimes including cherries, apricots, plums, quinces, cranberries, grapes, mangoes, peaches, pineapple, kiwi, nectarines, raspberries, mulberries, blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, and rhubarb.

But what exactly is a compote anyway?

According to Wikipedia, “A compote is a cooked fruit preserve [that] is often served cold as an accompaniment to savory dishes such as cheese, meat, fish, or salad.”

So basically, it’s like a sauce, but not quite!

So how did this ancient form of dessert get its name?

Well, it’s thought to come from the Latin word cum potu meaning ‘with the juice’.

It was also known as cibarium, which means ‘grape-eating place’.

How Do You Pronounce Compote?

Compote is an English word which means “mixture” or “compound”.

It is also known by many other names such as confit, jam, jelly, quince paste, and preserves.

The name comes from the French word ‘confiture’ meaning “preserved fruit”.

The earliest recorded usage of this term was in 1585 when it was first mentioned in a book called ‘A Collection of Emblemes, Wise Sentences, and Other Choice Matters’ written by Thomas Deloney.

In modern times, compotes have become very popular because they’re easy to make and delicious.

They usually consist of fruits like berries, citrus peels, apples, pears, plums, apricots, rhubarb, cherries, currants, raisins, gooseberries, and blackthorn.

Strawberry Compote Recipe

This simple yet delicious recipe uses strawberries as its base ingredient.

To create this tasty dessert, all you need to do is chop up two handfuls of ripe strawberries, add one cup of water, cook them down until soft, then strain out the seeds and pulp before serving.

  • Step 1. Wash and trim the bottoms off the strawberries, leaving 2-inches at their tops.
  • Step 2. Chop the strawberries into small pieces with a knife or food processor.
  • Step 3. Add the chopped strawberries along with one cup of water to a medium saucepan on medium heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and let simmer for about 10 minutes until all the liquid evaporates.
  • Step 4. Remove from the heat and allow to cool completely, then transfer to a bowl using a slotted spoon.
  • Step 5. Place the cooked strawberries in a sieve lined with muslin cloth or cheesecloth, and squeeze gently to remove any additional juices left behind in the pan.
  • Step 6. Mix together the strained strawberries and sugar in a large bowl, and serve warm or chilled.

What Are Some Other Variations Of Compote?

Compotes are basically fruit preserves, which usually contain sugar, water, acid, and sometimes pectin.

While there are many types of compotes, they all have one thing in common: They’re made with juicy fruits like berries, apples, peaches, plums, apricots, cherries, mangoes, and citrus fruits such as lemons, limes, oranges, tangerines, grapefruits, etc.

The most popular type of compote is berry-based because it’s easy to make and requires just two main ingredients: fruit and sugar.

ou can also add spices like cinnamon or vanilla extract if desired, along with any acidic ingredient found in the fruit itself.

You can also try using dried fruit instead of fresh ones, which gives you an extra layer of texture and flavor.

For example, dried cranberries would work well in this recipe, while raisins could be substituted for strawberries.

Other options include prunes, figs, dates, pineapple chunks, and even apple chips!

Here are some more ideas for compote recipes:

  • Strawberry-Mango Compote
  • Apple-Carrot Compote
  • Pear-Ginger Compote
  • Blueberry-Lemon Compote
  • Spiced Apple Compote
  • Cranberry-Orange Compote
Strawberry Compote Recipe3

Strawberry Compote Recipe

If you’re craving something sweet but don’t want to bake a cake, then perhaps making your own strawberry compote is the answer.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 12 minutes
Total Time: 22 minutes
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Strawberry Compote Recipe
Servings: 4
Calories: 177kcal

Equipment

  • 1 Saucepan

Ingredients

  • 1 pound strawberries
  • 6 tbsp granulated sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon lemon juice

Instructions

  • Wash and trim the bottoms off the strawberries, leaving 2-inches at their tops.
  • Chop the strawberries into small pieces with a knife or food processor.
  • Add the chopped strawberries along with one cup of water to a medium saucepan on medium heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and let simmer for about 10 minutes until all the liquid evaporates.
  • Remove from the heat and allow to cool completely, then transfer to a bowl using a slotted spoon.
  • Place the cooked strawberries in a sieve lined with muslin cloth or cheesecloth, and squeeze gently to remove any additional juices left behind in the pan.
  • Mix together the strained strawberries and sugar in a large bowl, and serve warm or chilled.

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 177kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 2g | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 1IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 4mg | Iron: 12mg
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