Cherry plum and apple compote

Compote in France is a sauce, like apple sauce or pear or fruit purée, or any type of fruit purée either eaten by kids from a pouch bought at a supermarket or served as an accompaniment to meats. You can also come across compote as poached fruit, with sugar and little liquid, served maybe over ice cream or eaten as dessert.

The Eastern European compote is of a different kind. It’s a way of fruit preservation but mostly used to quench the thirst in winter months. Very little quantities of fruit are preserved with some sugar and big quantities of water, for example in a three quart glass jar. In fact, I never drank just water (and no one I knew drank it either) until my first trip to Italy when I was 18. Before that it was a black or herbal tea after meals, a glass of compote or a hot drink made with fruit jam diluted in hot water.

Last August we went to visit my family in Belarus. Leo, my 4-year-old, had a blast picking yellow cherry plums from the ground, which were covered with a carpet of the yellow and fragrant fruit. We made a compote with it while adding some apples (a classic combination for winter preservation). You can also use plums and apples instead. The sugar quantity is approximate because it depends on the sweetness of the fruit. Ideally either the plums or apples will be slightly tart to give the final compote both sweet and sour notes. You can also try strawberries, peaches, apricots, pears or cherries.

For the compote 

1 pound (3 cups) fruit

1/2 cup sugar

3 quarts water

In a large pot, combine the cherry plums, apples, sugar and water. Bring to boil over medium heat. Lower the heat to low, and simmer for about 10 minutes or until the fruit is soft. Cover and let the compote cool. Serve chilled with a piece of fruit in each glass. Or drink it hot as tea right away.