Festivus Fruit Compote Recipe on Food52 (2024)

Make Ahead

by: mrslarkin

December1,2010

0 Ratings

  • Serves many

Jump to Recipe

Author Notes

Okay, so this is probably too fancy a dish to grace the Festivus buffet table, but I thought the name was kinda cute. Any Seinfeld fans out there? http://www.youtube.com...mrslarkin

What You'll Need

Ingredients
  • juice of 1 Meyer lemon, or regular lemon
  • 4 small Lady apples, cut into bite size wedges, seeds removed if they bother you
  • 3 small firm but ripe seckel pears, peeled, quartered, seeds removed yadda yadda
  • 6 kumquats, quartered, any fat seeds removed (optional, but it's fun to say “kumquats”!)
  • 1 clementine, sliced through the equator, seeds removed, then cut into eigths
  • 1 small quince, firm but ripe, cut into skinny wedges or chunks
  • *quinces are really hard, so be careful cutting these!
  • 1/2 cupdried cranberries
  • 2 cinnamon sticks, broken in half
  • About 3 cups water
  • 1 1/2 cupsturbinado sugar
  • 1/2 cupdried pitted prunes
  • 1/2 cupdried pitted apricots
  • 2 star anise, plus more for garnish
  • 1 large ruby grapefruit, skin removed and segments cut into supremes
  • 1 carambola (star fruit) sliced into stars (totally optional, but really beautiful)
  • 1 tablespoonfinely chopped crystalized ginger, or to taste (optional)
Directions
  1. In a medium stockpot, toss the apples, pears, kumquats together with the lemon juice. To the pot add everything up to and including the turbinado sugar. Bring to boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes, or until the fruit is tender but not mushy.
  2. With a slotted spoon or spider strainer, scoop out the fruit and place on a cookie sheet to cool.
  3. Add prunes and apricots to the liquid and let steep over low heat for a few minutes until plump but not mushy. Sometimes dried prunes and apricots are super dry or super wet, so adjust your steeping time accordingly. Remove the prunes and apricots and add to the rest of the cooling fruit.
  4. Add the star anise to the liquid and bring to a boil. Reduce by about half or until slightly syrupy, about 10 minutes. Turn off heat. Remove and discard the star anise. Spoon in the grapefruit and star fruit pieces just to coat in the syrup and remove these to the rest of the fruit.
  5. If you have one, get a beautiful clear glass bowl ready and place the fruit inside. Pour some of the syrup over top, reserving some for a small pitcher for guests to pour themselves, if there is a lot of syrup. Garnish the fruit with the ginger and extra star anise.
  6. Serve alongside bowls of Greek yogurt, crème fraiche, some lightly spiked whipped cream, or ice cream. Also nice with baked ham and pork roasts.
  7. Festivus for the rest of us!

Tags:

  • Condiment/Spread
  • Fruit
  • Anise
  • Apricot
  • Grapefruit
  • Kumquat
  • Pear
  • Prune
  • Tropical Fruit
  • Make Ahead
  • Serves a Crowd
  • Fall
Contest Entries
  • Your Best Open House Dish

See what other Food52ers are saying.

  • TiggyBee

  • fiveandspice

  • lapadia

  • Lizthechef

  • drbabs

21 Reviews

TiggyBee December 5, 2010

happiest of birthdays to you!!!

mrslarkin December 5, 2010

TiggyBee, thank you so much!

fiveandspice December 4, 2010

Oh goodness! Happy Birthday, indeed!

mrslarkin December 5, 2010

Thanks, fiveandspice!!

lapadia December 4, 2010

OH!...So wait a minute, mrslarkin, it is your Birthday today? I say, Cheers...to another year of the Good Life!!

mrslarkin December 5, 2010

Thank you lapadia!!!

Lizthechef December 4, 2010

Time to break out the cd collection - I still miss that show - and your compote is lovely. HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Queen of the Scones!!

mrslarkin December 4, 2010

Thanks for the birthday wishes, Liz! Nice oranges on your tree! How are your Meyers this year??

TiggyBee December 3, 2010

Oh YAY!!! It's time for the airing of grievances!! Not to mention the feats of strength...Love this!!

mrslarkin December 3, 2010

haha! After you, TiggyBee!

TiggyBee December 3, 2010

In honor of your recipe, I plan to donate $500 to the Human Fund, in your name, of course!!

lapadia December 1, 2010

OMG, I just viewed the "festivus Seinfeld link", hadn't seen it in a while and realized that Festivus is the same day as my Birthday....a Festivus-Birthday, geez, can't I have my own day?.....hahahahahahahaha :+))

mrslarkin December 2, 2010

oh my, lapadia, that it too funny!!! Will you be airing your grievances and partaking in feats of strength?? I think you should. ;)

lapadia December 1, 2010

"Festivus for the rest of us"....love it!

mrslarkin December 1, 2010

:-)

Sagegreen December 3, 2010

We all could use a festivus tradition! Let's rumble! Your gorgeous compote belongs in the feat of strength category.

mrslarkin December 3, 2010

haha! Thanks, Sagegreen!! Yes, how about a Festivus Food52 Potluck Party!

drbabs December 1, 2010

Oh, my you're a Seinfeld fan, too!

mrslarkin December 1, 2010

oh, yes!

fiveandspice December 1, 2010

Some friends and I tried to celebrate Festivus once! It kind of failed - but I bet it wouldn't have it we'd had this compote!

mrslarkin December 1, 2010

Hee hee!

Festivus Fruit Compote Recipe on Food52 (2024)

FAQs

What is the difference between stewed fruit and fruit compote? ›

A compote is simply preserved or cooked fruit. Your mum probably called it stewed fruit, so compote is just a new name for an old favourite. Compote is French for 'mixture' and back in medieval Europe, it was a dessert of whole fruits cooked in water with sugar and spices.

What is fruit compote made of? ›

Compote (or compôte) is French for “mixture.” It is basically a sweet, chunky fruit sauce made with whole or chopped fresh or frozen fruit and sugar. The fruit and sugar are typically cooked on the stovetop for a brief time until the fruit has softened and collapsed into a delicious fruit sauce.

Is fruit compote served warm or cold? ›

Compotes are delicious served all by themselves as a dessert at the end of a meal. They are usually served warm but are sometimes chilled.

What is a compote prepared by using this method? ›

The recipe or methodology hasn't changed much over the centuries… a compote is simply cooked fruit preserved in a sugar syrup. Compote can be made from fresh or dried fruit, left whole or cut into chunks (although more commonly the latter), and cooked in a sugar syrup with or without spices.

What is the purpose of fruit compote? ›

Compote is fresh, saucy and sweet, and ready in as little as 15 minutes. You can make compote ahead of time and warm it up or throw it onto the stove after dinner. Serve it on ice cream for dessert, yogurt or toast the next morning, or anything else that could use some fruity flavor. You really can't go wrong.

Is compote healthier than jam? ›

Additionally, jam on average contains 50% or more sugar whereas compote is 15% or less. This makes compote the healthier of the two to indulge in, but it must be taken into account that people generally eat significantly less jam than they do compote in their dishes.

What is a fun fact about fruit compote? ›

The dish was originally served by itself in 17th century France as a dessert item. Interestingly enough, the dessert was originally created for its supposed health benefits. The idea was that this dessert, or fruits cooked in any syrup, balanced out the effects of humidity in the body.

How long does homemade fruit compote last? ›

Keep in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. To keep compotes for longer, freeze, in batches, in plastic containers so you can defrost only as much as you need. Spices Oriental flavours such as star anise, ginger and cardamom are fantastic for fruit with a rich flavour, such as plums and berries.

How do you thicken homemade compote? ›

Whisk 1 teaspoon cornstarch and 1 teaspoon water until smooth. Pour the slurry into the compote after it has broken down and simmer 1-2 minutes, or until thickened to your desired texture.

What do you eat with fruit compote? ›

I love to serve compote over crêpes, french toast or a fresh baked baguette. Compote served warm over ice cream is a true delight. Compote is also delicious over yogurt or granola for a quick mid-week breakfast. I also greatly recommend serving a savory apple compote with duck breast magret or pork tenderloin.

Is fruit compote good for you? ›

Incorporating compote into your diet can aid in maintaining optimal digestive function. Sustained Energy Release: The natural sugars present in the fruits used to prepare seven-fruit compote provide a sustained source of energy, making it an ideal addition to your breakfast or snack routine.

Do supermarkets sell compote? ›

Bonne Maman Cherry Compote 385G - Tesco Groceries.

What can you use instead of compote? ›

Compote and jam are two different products made from similar ingredients. Compotes have bigger pieces of fruit in them, and smaller berries can and be kept whole, whereas jam has smaller pieces of fruit, sometimes even pureed. Compotes are not canned and have less sugar than jam.

What is a coulis vs compote? ›

Key Differences

Coulis can be made by pureeing fruits or vegetables, whereas compote is prepared by cooking down fruits until soft. Coulis is basically a fruit in pureed form, but compote has additional ingredients like spices and dried fruits, which lend a complex flavor.

Can I freeze fruit compote? ›

Storage & freezing

Store in a sealed container or jar in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. Fruit compote can also be frozen for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge overnight before using. Serve cold, or warm gently in a small pan on the stove or in a microwave.

What is a stewed fruit? ›

Compote or compôte (French for stewed fruit) is a dessert originating from medieval Europe, made of whole or pieces of fruit in sugar syrup. Whole fruits are cooked in water with sugar and spices.

What do you do with stewed fruit? ›

Serve over cereal, yoghurt, pancakes, granola, muesli or even with roast pork!

Is stewed fruit as good as fresh? ›

Both cooked and raw apples are healthy, but stewed apples can be particularly helpful for gut health. Let's consider at raw apples first. By eating these, you benefit from nutrients such as vitamin C and potassium.

How do you use up stewed fruit? ›

We eat it for breakfast, as a snack or dessert, simply spooned over porridge, yoghurt, chia pudding, cream, ice cream, custard, panna cotta, on toast, on pancakes,... The stewing concentrates the flavours, and softens the fruit into a silky melt-in-your-mouth consistency, and melds together any extra flavourings.

References

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Recommended Articles
Article information

Author: Stevie Stamm

Last Updated:

Views: 6261

Rating: 5 / 5 (60 voted)

Reviews: 83% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Stevie Stamm

Birthday: 1996-06-22

Address: Apt. 419 4200 Sipes Estate, East Delmerview, WY 05617

Phone: +342332224300

Job: Future Advertising Analyst

Hobby: Leather crafting, Puzzles, Leather crafting, scrapbook, Urban exploration, Cabaret, Skateboarding

Introduction: My name is Stevie Stamm, I am a colorful, sparkling, splendid, vast, open, hilarious, tender person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.