Fruit Compote

Known as “Kompot” in our language, this healthy Fruit Compote is a drink that will forever change the way you think about fruit juice. We grew up enjoying cold glasses of Kompot, made from the fruit trees on our family’s property. Kompot is a staple in Eastern Europe. It’s usually enjoyed chilled from the refrigerator on warm days but can also be served hot for a winter pick-us-up. When canned and stored properly, Kompot will last in the pantry well into winter, giving you a taste of summer on a cold day. This beverage is made from naturally sweet fresh fruits and is traditionally made using one of two methods: boiling, straining, and chilling, or marinating in sugar water. Here, we're showing you the first method.

What stands out

Our traditional Fruit Compote is a beloved Eastern European staple, so we know that you’ll love it, too. This is a simple and way to savor the best of summer fruits while enjoying a thirst-quenching drink on a hot day. In just 30 minutes you can make a huge batch of juice to keep in your fridge for the week. Totally homemade, no artificial ingredients, just pure summer fruit perfection. The flavor is completely customizable depending on what kind of fruit, or combination of fruits you choose. Stone fruits (plums, peaches, apricots, cherries) or berries (strawberries, raspberries) work beautifully, but feel free to get creative!

How to Prepare This Fruit Compote

Add 3 1/2 liters (1 gallon) of filtered water to a big pot.

Wash 2 peaches, 4 plums, 2 pears, and 2 apples.

Next, use a sharp knife to pit, core, and halve the fruit.

Now, add everything to the pot and then bring it up to a boil.

Semi-cover the pot with a lid and then reduce the heat to medium-low. Let boil for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, remove the fruit with a sieve or kitchen spider and then process in a food processor or blender with sugar or honey for a fruit purée.

To the remaining hot fruit liquid, add some sugar or honey to taste (optional).

Now, cool the liquid to room temperature, strain it into a bowl or mason jars and then chill in the fridge.

Serve over ice and enjoy!

Kitchen tip

Don’t throw out the leftover mushy fruit from your kompot! After straining the leftover fruit, blend it into a thick fruit puree to use in pancakes, smoothies, spread on toast, and more.

Swaps

1. The sweetness and potency of the fruitiness is completely up to you: you can always add less or more sugar or fruit, or you can reduce the concentration by cutting the kompot with extra water when serving.
2. Experiment with different fruit combinations. Stone fruits (plums, peaches, apricots, cherries), berries (strawberries, raspberries), apples, and pears all work beautifully.
3. Our favorite Fruit Compote combo is lots of cherries, dark plums, raisins, and apples. See the recipe here: Healthy Cherry Juice.
4. Sweetener is optional. Our family always adds sugar to taste but honey is lovely as well.

Serve it with

• This Fruit compote is with a variety of summer dips such as our Healthy Green Goddess Dip or Roasted Eggplant Dip.
• Serve this Fruit Compote with a traditional Eastern European dessert, such as our BanitsaCustard Baklava or Revani Cake.

Questions

how can we make a stronger-tasting compote?

If you want a more potent Kompot (Compote) feel free to double the fruit in this compote recipe.

how do we properly serve this fruit compote?

Strain the juice and then chill it in the fridge. You can serve it in a pitcher with ice on a hot summer day.

how do we can the Fruit Compote?

Start by adding the chopped fruit to the bottom of a mason jar along with some sugar and water. Then add on the lid and boil the jars. This canning method ensures we have Kompot all winter long so if you feel confident in your canning skills, you can try this method, too.

what do we do with the leftover fruit from the compote?

Don’t throw out the leftover, mushy fruit from your kompot! After straining the leftover fruit, blend it into a thick fruit puree to use in pancakes, smoothies, spread on toast, and more. Remove the fruit from the pot with a sieve and then process it with a sweetener to make the most beautiful fruit purée. You can use the fruit purée in baking, on top of pancakes, chia pudding, and so much more.

Ingredients

Makes 12 cups

• 3 ½ liters filtered water
• 2 peaches, washed, pitted and halved
• 4 dark plums, washed, pitted and halved
• 2 pears, washed, halved, and core and seeds removed
• 2 apples, washed, halved, and core and seeds removed
• sugar, or honey to taste (optional)

Equipment

• Nakiri Knife
• Cutting Board
• Large Pot
• Spider Spoon
• Large Food Processor
• Large Mason Jars

Method

1. Add 3 1/2 litres (1 gallon) of filtered water to a big pot.
2. Add the fruit to the pot and bring to a boil. Semi-cover the pot with a lid and reduce the heat to medium-low. Let boil for 30 minutes.
3. After 30 minutes, remove the fruit with a sieve or kitchen spider and process in a food processor or blender with a touch of sugar or honey for a delicious fruit purée.
4. In the remaining hot fruit liquid add some sugar or honey, if using. We like to cool the liquid to room temperature, strain it into a bowl or mason jars, and chill in the fridge.
5. Serve over ice and enjoy!