Strawberry Compote

As promised, here I come with this delicious recipe of Strawberry Compote. But before we head to the recipe, I would like to give you a little insight into what a compote is.

A compote is any fruit which is cooked in syrup.

Compote is a healthier version of jam because it has very less quantity of sugar and no preservatives. Here you use the natural flavoring and sweetness of the fruit.You can use any fruit to make a fruit compote. Its also a great way of using seasonal fruits. You can mix a few fruits together and make a compote. It can be used in many ways like top it on toasts, pancakes, make tarts or even use it as a cake topping.

Some fruits that are suitable to make compote are strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, mango, lithchi, rhubarb, apples, bananas, cherries, and the list is endless. You can have endless possibilities with a compote.

Here I am sharing my Strawberry Compote recipe. The same can be used to for any other compote that you want to make by just replacing the fruit.

Ingredients:
400 gms of fresh strawberries, washed, stem removed,
4-5 tsp of vanilla sugar (see recipe below)

Method:

1. Chop the strawberries into small chunks.
2. Place the chopped strawberries in a heavy bottom pan.
3. Add the sugar and mix well.
4. Stir occasionally and simmer allowing it to cook gently.
5. Fruits with high water content release their water on heating, hence there is no need to add additional water. But if it starts to stick at the bottom of the pan, add a tbsp of water.
6. Once the strawberries have softened, remove from fire and allow it to cool.
7. Pour it into a bottle and store in the refrigerator. 

Ingredients for Vanilla Sugar:

Sugar, castor or regular,
1-2 pods of vanilla,

Method:

1. Place the sugar in a bottle. 
2. Insert the vanilla pods and shake well.
3. Close the lid tightly and leave it for a few days.
4. The aroma of the vanilla will be taken up by the sugar granules in a few days.
5. Use as required, refilling with fresh sugar.

Remember to store homemade compote in refridgerator once it has cooled down. You should use it up within 2-3 days, but I can bet it won't be available for that long :). I have used this compote on pancakes and it tastes great.