Fake summer compote.

2/27/2012






A real fruit compote is that beautiful thing, seen in Grandmother houses.
It's a huge mason jar filled with fruit chunks in sugar syrup.
Where my Grandmother lived, there was a pear tree, and when they started to ripen, nobody could eat it all. To solve the problem, compote was made, since it's a preservation method.
Now, this recipe here won't serve to preserve anything, it doesn't last long.
But it looks and tastes a lot like compote, except it takes a lot less sugar.
What I used in this case was:
1 whole pineapple, peeled and diced
3 yellow peaches, cut into wedges
3 apples, cored and cut into wedges

2 tablespoons vanilla sugar
1/3 to 1/2 cup water
(Cup measure: 240ml)

The story here is to cook over low heat, this way the small amount of water and sugar taken in the recipe will "call out" the liquid and sweetness contained in the fruits, forming a syrup.
I cooked my fruit in the oven, but it can be done on stovetop too.
I placed the prepared fruits (washed, cored, and - in the case of the pineapple - peeled), in a baking pan, sprinkled the sugar and poured the water. I covered with parchment paper and baked at 180oC for a bit longer than one hour.
You can tell it is ready when the syrup has already thickened a bit and you can pierce the fruits easily with a fork.
Uncover, wait until it cools down, then transfer to a large mason jar or other airtight storage recipient. 
If preparing in the stovetop, cook over low heat in a large pan, half-lidded, until you reach the same results.
You can add ground cinnamon or grated lemon zest along with the sugar, if you like it.

The fake compote keeps for one week in an airtight jar inside the fridge.
It can be served warm or chilled, as a breakfast, dessert, snack.
And you can make it with a myriad of fruits, almost whatever happens to be on hand.

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