Fresh Fruit compote, or Compote de fruits in French - an easy and delicious way to use overripe fruit
Long before I met Le Chef and moved to France I grew up on a farm. An Organic, Biodynamic farm in the Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada. My father was a pioneer of Biodynamic farming and taught me the value of fresh, seasonal food at a very young age. I spent my summers surrounded with peaches and apricots and nectarines and plums. Sweet, juicy fruit, fresh off the tree – that is summer to me.
As kids, my mother taught my sister and I how to can fruit. The hot summers of the Okanagan Valley ripened the fruit so quickly and we hated to see it go to waste. We canned all sorts of jams and sauces to be stored away in our cellar for the winter. There was no greater pleasure than opening up a jar of our own peach jam to smother over Crêpes in February. We could almost taste the sunshine!
Today, visiting my local farmer's markets brings me right back to those childhood memories. I buy pounds of fruit somewhat optimistically as if each meal during the week will be of fresh peaches and burrata. Despite my best efforts sometimes life gets in the way and that bowl of gorgeous fruit on my counter gets a little too ripe. I would love to be able to can fruit as we used to, but I know the time commitment canning requires and I just don't see it happening this summer.
Le Chef's tip
Observing Le Chef prepare breakfast one morning I realized there was a much simpler way to use overripe fruit. Fresh fruit compote! So quick to prepare and it can be done in small batches which you can easily freeze.
So while I know that there are much more advanced recipes of compote out there, here is my approach that can easily be done in minutes.
Recipe for fresh fruit compote
***Note that this technique is also a great way to revive some less than stellar fruit you picked up at the supermarket out of season. That hard as a rock nectarine you thought would be ripe? Turn it in to compote and it will surprise you!***
Bon Appétit!
Once the compote is cooked you can serve it immediately as a topping for crêpes, oatmeal or ice cream. I like to save any remaining compote in a Tupperware to eat during the week (over yogurt or granola most likely) then freeze the rest to enjoy on a winter day. A space saving tip I learnt as a new mom is to freeze the compote in Freezer bags so that you can lay them flat and stack them in your freezer.
Last but not least, I invite you to get creative. Experiment with adding ginger, or basil, or chili peppers – whatever you fancy! Just make sure to write back and tell me about how you used this fresh fruit compote recipe. I would love to hear what you are cooking!
Au Plaisir,
Le Chef’s Wife
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Fresh Fruit Compote Recipe
Description
Fresh fruit compote is a simple and delicious way to use overripe fruit. So quick to prepare and it can be done in small batches which you can easily freeze. An excellent alternative to canning, especially for those short on time or kitchen space!
So while I know that there are much more advanced recipes of compote out there, here is my approach that can easily be done in minutes.
Ingredients
- Any fresh fruit you have on hand. Peaches, nectarines, apricots or plums work beautifully as so do blueberries, strawberries and raspberries. This recipe works for one fruit as well as 20!
- 1 tbsp of butter per cup of fruit
- 1 tsp Lemon or lime zest per cup of fruit
- 1 tsp sugar per cup of fruit (absolutely optional- no need for very ripe fruit)
Instructions
Peel and dice the fruit stone fruit. Leave berries whole or sliced.
Melt half the butter in a non-stick skillet or sauce pan on medium heat (don’t let the butter get brown!). I like to use my Le Creuset dutch oven when cooking a bigger batch to ensure an even heat distribution.
Throw in all of the diced the fruit all at the same time and bring to a simmer stirring frequently.
Reduce the heat, add in the remaining butter and lemon or lime zest stirring frequently. The butter adds a wonderfully rich taste to the fruit – be generous with the butter!
Simmer long enough to allow the fruit to break down so that the mixture resembles a chunky sauce. This should take about 5-10 minutes depending on the fruit and your pan temperature. Your kitchen will smell amazing while you are at it! There is no need to add the sugar if you don't want to – fresh, ripe fruit is sweet enough.
Notes
***Note that this technique is also a great way to revive some less than stellar fruit you picked up at the supermarket out of season. That hard as a rock nectarine you thought would be ripe? Turn it in to compote and it will surprise you!***
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