I am currently in over my head with summer fruit—I feel like I just started to make a dent in my annual strawberry consumption when cherries started hitting the market. So last week, when I saw my first glimpse of blueberries and raspberries, I panicked. I want them all, which means I end up lugging far more home than one person can reasonable consume.
The answer to my troubles? Compote.
What exactly is a compote? Think of it as a sort of thick, quick jam: fruit that's cooked in a sugar until it's soft and sweet but still holds it shape, so the mixture is a bit chunky.
Since compotes can keep for a week or two stored in an airtight container in the fridge, it's a handy way of preserving fruit without the fuss of canning jams and jellies. Any and all fruit can be made into compote, whether it's berries, stone fruit, or rhubarb.
Once you get the hang of making them you can have fun with them. Experiment by swapping sweeteners (like honey or maple syrup) or tossing a vanilla bean or citrus zest into the mix.
And once you've made your compote, there's a whole lot you can do with it.
Eat it for breakfast
Top your morning yogurt or oatmeal with a few spoonfuls of compote, and your day is guaranteed to be a little better. Or ditch the maple syrup on your weekend pancakes or waffles and reach for compote instead.
Swirl it into ice cream
Mix it into softened store-bought ice cream. Or if you're feeling fancy, make the ice cream yourself.
...And semifreddo
Don't have an ice cream maker? Join in on the fun and make semifreddo instead.
Fold it into fool
What is fool, you ask? It's a British dessert that is begging to be added to your dessert roster. Whip some cream, gently stir a bit of compote into it, spoon it into a fancy glass and serve.
Or make a mess
While I'm on the subject of British treats, it would be remiss not to mention Eton mess. One step up from a fool, it throws crushed up meringue into the mix. Because, why not?
Turn it into hand pies
Wrap up compote in buttery crust and everybody wins. If the compote is thin and runny, bring it to a boil and add a spoonful of cornstarch to thicken it.
Or just spoon it onto pretty much any other dessert
Be it panna cotta, custard, or cake.
