Cherry compote

This cherry compote is an easy sauce made with just a handful of ingredients. The short cook really brings out the delicious cherry flavor. Perfect to serve with ice cream, pancakes, yogurt and more.

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I've long been a cherry fan and look forward to finding them in their peak each year. However when we lived in Australia and got to go pick them ourselves, they were that bit more special. Not just because we picked them, but the climate was clearly so well suited to growing fantastically juicy, flavorful fruit.

At that point, I think I found a way to use cherries in as many ways possible. We loved the no churn cherry ice cream I made and I experimented with a cherry barbecue sauce (still to perfect that one). I've also since made a cherry lemonade that is a big favorite.

Along with the ice cream, this simple cherry sauce is a great way to help cherries last that little bit longer. It brings out their flavor and is really versatile in how you use it.

What is a compote?

A compote is fruit cooked gently in syrup until the fruit is tender but still intact in chunks, or whole, depending on the fruit (or how you choose in preparing). It's essentially a fruit sauce or stewed fruit that can be used particularly as a topping but also as a filling for pies, for example.

You can make a compote with a variety of fruits, in particular berries like blackberries, or strawberries, and stone fruits like peach and plum (like my stewed plums). Chunky apple sauce is also a kind of compote, and you could make one from pears.

In all cases, the gentle cooking helps the fruit hold their form but also, along with the bit of sugar, brings out the flavor. Making compote is a great way to use up overripe fruit and you can also make it with frozen fruit.

Difference between compote and jam

Compote and jam are very similar but there are a couple differences. While the main ingredients for both are fruit and sugar, the proportions are different and so is the cooking time.

For a jam, you use a higher proportion of sugar - even with lower sugar jams - and cook the mixture for longer. You are looking for a semi-thick mixture with small pieces of fruit, if any chunks at all. It's intended to preserve and can be stored for some time, if canned properly.

Compote, meanwhile, only has a small amount of sugar and you cook it for a shorter time. The pieces of fruit stay much more intact. You are more looking for them to soften and release some juices to bring out their flavor and add to the syrup. It's generally only kept a few days, though it is possible to freeze for longer storage.

Cooking tips

This is pretty easy to make but a couple tips to help it turn out it's best:

• Cut the cherries smaller or leave larger as suits how you plan to use them.
• Use a wide pot/pan to help give a larger surface area.
• Bring the mixture to a simmer then reduce the heat so they don't cook too quickly.
• If the liquid reduces too much, add a little more orange or some water.
• If you prefer a thicker sauce, add a little corn starch (or other thickener) dissolved in water towards the end.

A simple base that you can adapt to taste

At it's core, this is simply cherries, sugar and a little liquid. But you can play around a little to adjust the flavor and end texture a little to taste. Once you've made it once or twice, it's fun to change things up.

I have made a slightly different version before when I shared my chocolate Dutch baby pancake which uses lemon instead of orange. It also has a little corn starch added to make a slightly thicker sauce.

You could also add some warm spice, like cinnamon, clove and/or allspice as well as vanilla extract for a slightly spiced version. Some like to add a drop or two of almond extract, which can bring out the cherry flavor (though use lightly as it can take over). Another common addition is kirsch, a cherry liqueur for a little extra flavor kick.

How to use cherry compote

As mentioned above, this is wonderfully versatile in how you use it. Some ideas include:

• With yogurt and granola to make a parfait, similar to my blueberry parfait (great for a quick breakfast or snack).
• On top of pancakes, French toast or waffles for a decadent breakfast.
• Over ice cream for an easy dessert - I particularly like it warmed for the warm-cold contrast.
• To top cheesecake, cake or other desserts where a fruit topping would fit.
• As a pie filling - for this, I'd suggest using some corn starch to make it a bit thicker, as described in the recipe below as an optional step.

Cherries also pair really nicely with some savory dishes, in particular duck but also beef and chicken, so I could see this being good as a savory sauce, too.

Cherry compote is a really lovely way to use up some cherries, bring out their flavor and enjoy them with a whole range of dishes. Whether as part of breakfast like over pancakes or yogurt, or in desserts paired with ice cream or on top of cake, they're simply delicious. And so easy to make, you'll want some extra cherries on purpose.

Try these other fruity condiments:

• Roasted rhubarb - an easy, tasty way to bring out the flavor in rhubarb, also great as a topping.
• Caramelized apples - with a lovely touch of spice, they're tender and delicious.
• Plum jam - one of many jams on the site, this one has a lovely light spice.
• Caramelized peaches - sweet, tender and bringing out all that peach flavor.
• Plus get more jam, sauce and other condiment recipes in the archives.

See some of my favorite cooking tools and ingredients in the Caroline's Cooking Amazon store. 

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