Apple Compote
Soft apples simmered slowly until they collapse into a thick, glossy compote. Sweet, faintly caramelised, and comforting. The French compote eaten warm, cold, or straight from the jar!
Ingredients
- 1 kg apples about 6 to 7 medium
- 50 gr caster sugar plus extra to taste
- 4 tbsp water
- 10 gr butter optional
- 1 pinch cinnamon optional
Equipment
- potato masher or stick blender
Instructions
1. Prepare the apples
- Peel, quarter and core the apples, cutting away any bruised bits. Cut each quarter into 2 or 3 chunks.
2. Combine
- Put the apples, sugar, water, vanilla seeds and pod into a heavy-based saucepan. Stir to combine.
3. Cook covered
- Cover and cook over a low heat for about 15 minutes, stirring now and then, until the apples are soft and starting to collapse.
4. Reduce
- Remove the lid and cook for another 5 minutes, stirring often, until the compote thickens and most of the liquid has evaporated.
5. Finish and taste
- Take the pan off the heat. Taste, and add a little more sugar if needed. Stir in the butter, if using.
6. Mash or blend
- Mash with a potato masher for a rustic compote, or blend with a stick blender for a smooth purée.
7. Serve
- Serve warm with a light dusting of cinnamon, or leave to cool completely before transferring to an airtight jar.
Notes
- Apples: soft-cooking apples give a smooth compote, and firm apples give chunks. Mixing varieties gives the best flavour.
- Sugar: taste before adding more. Bramleys need more sugar, while Golden apples might need almost none.
- Too runny? Cook uncovered for a few more minutes, stirring constantly.
- Storage: up to 5 days in an airtight jar in the fridge, or 3 months in the freezer.
- Vanilla pod: rinse and dry it after cooking, then pop it into your sugar jar to make vanilla sugar.
- Vanilla version: add the seeds and pod of 1 vanilla pod with the apples in step 2, and remove the pod before mashing.