Strawberry Compote - Video Recipe

The last time I made pancakes, I reached for the maple syrup only to find the bottle almost empty, and my backup, fruit jam, was starting to form mold in the jar. As a tasty substitute, I cooked a fresh Fruit Compote made with strawberries. Plus, this fresh fruit recipe is perfect for homemade Cranberry Sauce during the holidays.

Fortunately, I had half of a one-pound container of strawberries left from my last 99c only Store run (and I do see them on sale for the same price at my local Latin grocery store.)

Even though they were a few days old and starting to wrinkle just a little bit, I salvaged enough to make a Strawberry Compote. I first rinsed them off, then trimmed the stems and sliced off any soggy spots from the berries.

Next, I assembled a few ingredients that makeup Fruit Compote, including apple juice, honey, and a little ginger. Finally, I added everything to a pot and let it simmer for a few minutes to soften (and mash) the fruit into a fragrant and fruity sauce. That's it.

The consistency of my Strawberry Compote is a little looser than a fruit jam.

This is a versatile sweet topping, and you can use almost any fruit and berries you have on hand - canned, frozen, or fresh. Go ahead and try it with pineapple, peaches, blueberries, blackberries, apples, bananas, pear - even seedless grapes and cherries. If you use canned fruit, the juice will be sweet enough, so leave out the honey. And you can use this recipe with fresh cranberries for a homemade chunky Cranberry Sauce (compote) for Thanksgiving and Christmas meals.

You can spread my Strawberry Compote over pancakes, waffles, toast, French toast, cereal, and any favorite dessert like ice cream or pie. And store it in the refrigerator, if you have any left.

Strawberry Compote - VIDEO

Play it here, video runs 1 minute 24 seconds.

My YouTube video link for viewing or embedding, just click here.

Ingredients (about 2 servings)

• 2 cups fresh fruit - I used strawberries. Okay to use frozen or canned fruit. Some fruits to use include peach, pineapple, pear, apple (add a teaspoon of lemon juice to keep the apple from turning brown), and all types of berries. You can leave on some peach and apple skin.
• 2 tablespoons apple juice - okay to substitute with favorite fruit juice like orange, cranberry or grape juice.
• 1 teaspoon of honey - or your favorite sweetener.
• 1/4 teaspoon of ginger - fresh grated or minced, dried powder, or from the jar. This is optional, okay to leave it out.

Instructions
 Prepare fruit. I used fresh strawberries and just removed the stems and leaves. Depending on the strawberry size, half them or slice them into small sizes. You can use almost any fresh fruit on sale, or that you prefer.

For my recipe, I use 2 cups of your favorite fresh fruit. This recipe is easy to half or double the amounts.

Over medium heat, place the fruit in a pot.

Add apple juice, ginger honey, or your favorite sweetener.

Once the liquid starts to simmer, reduce heat to low. Use a fork or spoon to muddle and mash the fruit.

Continue cooking over medium-low heat for about 5 minutes, occasionally mashing fruit as it gets soft. Compote is ready when liquid is reduced by half and all the fruit is mushy and soft.

Remove from heat and transfer to a small bowl or jar to cool to room temperature, so it thickens a little more. It is now ready to serve. While Strawberry Compote sets, you can cook up a stack of pancakes.

The consistency of my Strawberry Compote is a little looser than a fruit jam.

Store in the refrigerator. Serve with French toast, waffles, pancakes, oatmeal, ice cream, and more. You can give it a quick microwave (or warm it slightly on the stovetop) before serving.

Hindsight
The recipe is easy to double ingredients. You only need to add a little more fruit juice though - about 1/3 cup total.

Use any favorite and seasonal fruit, like cranberry, peach, pineapple, pear, apple (add a teaspoon of lemon juice to keep the apple from turning brown), and all types of berries. Obviously remove cherry, apple, pear, and peach seeds. You can remove peach and apple skin, or leave some of it on.

For homemade Cranberry Sauce, use whole berries. You can thicken the sauce by cooking for an extra 5 to 10 minutes until you reach the desired sauce texture. Remember, any sauce will continue to thicken as it cools down.