Compote is a drink made from berries and fruits. It is obtained in the process of cooking them or by pouring boiling water. In the hot summer months, you should definitely make a compote, as it perfectly quenches your thirst and is one of the healthiest refreshing drinks. The process of its preparation is very simple, and anyone can brew a delicious drink for themselves.
Instructions
Step 1
You can also use dried fruits or frozen berries in winter. Apples, pears, apricots, plums, peaches and any berries are ideal for compote. You should not take pomegranates, persimmons, bananas, quince for making a drink. To improve its taste, you can add orange or lemon peels to any compote, which are placed during cooking and removed from the cooled drink.
Step 2
Preparing fruit for compote consists in cutting them to approximately the same size. Large ones are cut smaller, small ones are larger. Also, when cutting, the hardness of the fruit is taken into account. The berries are placed whole in the compote. If all the fruits you cook are sweet, then balance the flavor with a little acid. For this, frozen cranberries, oxalis, currants, gooseberries and cherries are best suited. If they are not available, you can use lemon.
Step 3
To prepare compote, you will need a steel or enameled pan for 3-5 liters. A quarter of its volume is filled with fresh berries and fruits prepared for cooking. Then sugar is added to taste. The standard sugar rate is about 150 grams per liter, but you can always adjust this figure, focusing on the taste and acidity of berries and fruits used to make compote. The pot is filled to the top with water and placed on medium gas.
Step 4
The compote should be cooked, stirring it sometimes; the cooking time depends on the ingredients. For example, pears and apples are cooked for about half an hour, other fruits for about 15 minutes. The fruits should become soft, but remain intact, not boil over. The prepared compote can be drunk immediately after preparation, but its taste is most pronounced after 10–12 hours, when it has completely cooled down and the fruit is soaked in sugar syrup.
Step 5
Making compote from frozen berries is even easier. A glass of sugar is added to a five-liter pot of water, and the water is brought to a boil. The frozen berries are poured into boiling water, and the water should boil again. Then the compote is cooked over low heat for 5 minutes. After that, the pan is covered with a lid and set aside for 30 minutes. The compote is cooled and strained if desired.
