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06 January 2011

SUCCESS: dried fruit compote

 
I made this compote ages ago but never got around to posting it because I didn't like the pictures. I've been in the middle of holidaying/moving house so decided I needed to get over myself and just post it! It may be brown but it tastes like a double rainbow.

bowl is too tiny

In a previous post I used a recipe from Whole Grains Every Day Every Way by Lorna Sass to make a dried fruit compote to top steel-cut oats. Don't get me wrong, healthy eating's great, but I think Lorna tried to be a little too healthy with the recipe and it was a bit of a disappointment. So I did it again but I did it my way. It wasn't hard at all because compotes are basically just fruit simmered for a while until they break down a bit and share flavours with each other. Dried fruit is always available and makes a nice compote that would be perfect for the end of Winter when there's not much fruit left.


On another note, I got new glasses! Wooo! Light is very intense in photo but that's what you get using 400asa film in the middle of the day in the middle of Summer. Hmm I must've closed my eyes so their beauty wouldn't distract from the frames...

Dried Fruit Compote
Adapted from Eating Well

The compote goes really well with oats/porridge but is also delicious with a bit of thick Greek yogurt. I used prunes, dates, cranberries and sultanas because I love them and they were on special.

2 cups water
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 cups (500 grams) dried fruit

Stir the water, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt together in a a large saucepan over a medium-high heat until the sugar dissolves. Add the fruit to the syrup and bring it to a simmer.

Lower the heat to maintain a good simmer, cover the saucepan and let it bubble away for 10 minutes or until the fruit has broken down a little and the syrup is starting to thicken.

Uncover the saucepan and simmer the compote for another 5 minutes or until the syrup has thickened a little more. Taste and if it needs it, add more sugar or a little salt to the compote while it's still warm.

Let cool and store in an air-tight container in a fridge. Serve at room temperature or chilled.


2 comments:

Mary Bergfeld said...

....and bottom line is that the taste is what counts. I am relatively new to your blog and don't comment often. I did, however, want you to know how much I like the food and recipes you feature here. I keep coming back. I hope you have a wonderful day. Blessings...Mary

Emily said...

good idea closing your eyes, otherwise I would not have seen the glasses in all their splendor! LOL!

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