Learn how to make fresh fruit compote at home with this easy recipe. Fresh fruit compote is delicious on ice cream, cheese, toast and more!
The end of the summer is the moment when tasty fruit, such as apples, figs and grapes, are at their sweetest and ready to be eaten.
It is also the moment when a large quantity of fruit is available and the prices are at their lowest.
Therefore, it’s the best moment to buy this fresh fruit and make fruit compotes that will last in your food pantry for the whole year.
Let’s see how to make the fruit compote at home in a safe way, while still preserving all the healthy properties of the fruit.
How to make fresh fruit compote – easy recipe!
First, choose the fruit you prefer depending on seasonality and availability: pears, peaches, plums or apricots are popular choices. Since the compote contains less sugar, it is important that the fruit is very sweet and ripe.
- Wash the fruit thoroughly and then peel it and remove the seeds.
- Cut all the fruit into small pieces and put it in a fairly large pot. Add the sugar, water and lemon juice and a pinch of salt.
- Bring the pot to the stove and cook over low heat for 30 minutes so that the fruit falls apart completely.
- Continue cooking until the liquid released is fully absorbed.
- Transfer to sterilized glass jars, close with the lid and boil on a low heat for another 10-20 minutes to form the vacuum in the jar
- Alternatively, you can let it cool down at room temperature and serve the compote immediately after preparation.
- Note: you can re-use glass jars but you should use brand new lids to make sure your compote will preserve
What to eat with fresh fruit compote?
Fresh fruit compotes are ideal for breakfast or as a snack spread on bread, toast or ice cream! They are also perfect for filling homemade desserts and to combine with cheeses.
Be careful not to forget that the compote is characterized by less sugar compared to classic jams and marmalades, which is why it is recommended to keep them for less time. They will hold up in the refrigerator for 2-3 days after opening the jars.
Fruit compote recipe
Ingredients:
• 500 g of ripe fruit of your choice
• 1/2 glass of water
• 1/2 lemon
• 30 g of sugar
difficulty: easy
people: 4
preparation: 30 min
cooking: 45 min
How to sterilize homemade jam jars
How to sterilize jars in the microwave
A modern technique is microwave sterilization: this method is undoubtedly the fastest, as three minutes will be enough!
- First of all fill the jars with water halfway and put them in the microwave.
- Run it at full power for about three minutes, until you see the water start boiling.
- Finally, using a kitchen glove or a tea towel, take out the jars.
- Pour out the water and let the jars dry on a clean tea towel.
How to sterilize jars filled with jam
To sterilize full jars, especially with jams, you need to boil them in a pot with water.
- Close the jars with the preserves inside, wrap them in a cloth and boil for about 20 minutes.
- Put them upside down to dry so that the vacuum is formed.
- When everything has cooled down, place them in food storage
How to make apple jam
- First wash the apples, peel them, remove the cores and internal seeds and cut them into cubes, then place them in a saucepan.
- Sprinkle them immediately with lemon juice so that they do not turn black.
- Add the sugar, and let it rest for half an hour.
- After the necessary time, add about a glass of water, cover with the lid and light the hob (on a low flame). Cook for about an hour, stirring and always checking that the mixture does not burn.
- If foam has formed on the surface, remove it manually and blend everything with an immersion blender.
Tips to improve the preservation of the jam
The most important factors affecting conservation are acidity and sugar content. The acidity, in addition to acting as a preservative, prevents the sugar from crystallizing during cooking. If you use low acid fruits it is advisable to add lemon juice. Do not overdo it with sugar, to avoid crystallization, but even a little is not good because it could compromise the shelf life. Recipes in which the same quantity of sugar and fruit is required are preferred, in any case do not go below 700 g for each kilo of fruit. If excessive cooking causes crystallization, cooking too little makes the product too liquid and easily attacked by molds and microorganisms. There are two tests to determine if the jam is ready:
• pouring a drop on a plate, it must slide slowly adhering to the surface;
• dipping and lifting a spoon into the preparation, the jam / jam must have a sticky and stringy consistency.
With a ladle, pour it into the previously sterilised jars. Turn the jars upside down until completely cooled so that the vacuum is created. Then boil them in a pot – wrapped in a cloth to prevent them from breaking by beating together – for 20 minutes to extend storage times.
The fruit compotes have a lower sugar content than jams, and with an acidity (pH <4) suitable for averting the risk of botulinum. Variations can also be obtained without adding sugar, using very ripe fruit, cooked for twenty minutes together with lemon juice, then blended and preserved. In the refrigerator they can be kept up to seven days (longer if pasteurized as is done for vegetable preserves).
Quotes and references
Tutti i segreti e le regole per preparare marmellate, succhi e conserve di frutta. I consigli dell’ISS per minimizzare i rischi
