A compote is a simple preparation of fruit and sweetened juice, where the blueberries are cooked briefly with sugar until they release their natural juices, creating a syrup thinner than that of a topping or sauce. It's quick, easy, and has a deep flavor. Use it on pancakes, porridge, muesli, rice pudding, french toast, yogurt, shortcake, and other desserts.
A compote has two ingredients, fruit and sugar, and even that's debatable because you can make it with just fresh fruit and water, cooking it long enough to let the natural sugars from the fruit be released and sweeten the mixture.
It's a lighter topping than this simple blueberry sauce, not overly sweet or thick, and can be used in a similar way. I love it with my morning buttermilk pancakes because they soak up the blueberry juice, and also with yogurt and granola, or porridge.
The addition of tart lemon juice brings out the flavor of the berries which can be bland sometimes, depending on the time of year, but it's an optional ingredient. I strongly feel that a little lemon helps with making a more tasty blueberry compote.
Simple ingredients
- Blueberries - I use fresh blueberries whenever I can, and they're usually available year-round where I live. This is a forgiving recipe so even though we always aim to get the best seasonal berries, it's a great way to use those blueberries that are not in their prime or when the blueberry season is over. And it also works well with frozen ones.
- Sugar - I love to use brown sugar because of the caramel flavor, but it darkens the sauce too much, so I usually use white. Both give amazing results.
- Lemon juice - an optional ingredient and a small amount, but it adds a hint of lemon that brings freshness and flavor to the mixture. Orange juice can also be used. I give options in the recipe card at the end of this post.
How to make a compote
This is a super easy recipe with just a handful of ingredients that takes 5 minutes to make.
- Start by making a simple syrup by placing the water, sugar, and lemon juice if using in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Let it come to a boil and add the blueberries when it's bubbling. Image 1
- Let the mixture come to a simmer (do not boil rapidly or it will crush the blueberries too much) and stir them a few times. Image 2
- When the blueberries start to shrivel and soften, check to see if the syrup has thickened. However thick or thin you like it is up to you. If it's too thin, take the berries out from the saucepan, put them in a bowl (image 3), and reduce the syrup further (image 4), about a minute or two more.
- Pour the syrup onto the reserved blueberries (image 5) and let it cool down until ready to refrigerate. Image 6
Kitchen notes
- Organization: always read the recipe first and make sure you have all the ingredients, at the right temperatures, and also the rest of the equipment and space to make it. This will make the process so much easier!
- Storing: keep the compote refrigerated in an airtight container or a bowl covered tightly with plastic wrap. You can also freeze it for a month (in a safe container) and let it come to room temperature before using it.
- Uses: this simple blueberry compote recipe is lighter than a regular sauce. And one of those easy recipes that's the perfect topping for breakfast food like waffles, pancakes, porridge or oatmeal (my favorite way), chia pudding, french toast, or granola and plain yogurt, and also for desserts like vanilla ice cream, pound cake slice with a dollop of whipped cream, or cheesecake.
- Amount of sugar: it can be adjusted depending on how sweet you want the finished sauce by adding a few extra tablespoons of sugar. But a fruit compote uses less sugar than a jam or thick topping with cornstarch.
- Amount of liquid: if you find that after a stay in the refrigerator or freezer the liquid in the compote is less than you want, simply add a tablespoon of water at a time until you have the desired consistency. Keep in mind that the sweetness will be diluted a little with each addition. Another way of adding extra liquid is to make a simple syrup with half a cup of water and 2 tablespoons of sugar (medium heat until it boils) and add it to the compote you already made.
- Other sweeteners: if you don't want to use sugar, you can add honey or pure maple syrup or some other type of sugar syrup you like to the saucepan with the berries and the water.
- Flavorings: citrus can be used to flavor this homemade blueberry compote recipe. Add some orange zest or lemon zest at the beginning or a few drops of vanilla extract (or orange liqueur for a more sophisticated flavor). A little ground cinnamon goes well with it too.
- Other berries: you can substitute the blueberries for other fresh berries (or frozen). There is a post in this blog with the recipe for strawberry compote.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, you can. The fruit will turn mushy and start to disintegrate. A compote is best with large chunks of fruit that are just beginning to soften. In the case of berry compotes, the fruit is left whole of course.
Yes, you can. Put in an airtight container that is apt for the freezer. It will last for a month.
A compote has pieces of fruit while in a coulis the fruit is pureed and strained if containing seeds. A compote is a chunky preparation with juice. A coulis is a thick puree.
Two to three weeks in the refrigerator kept in an airtight container. It depends on the amount of sugar you use, as it's a natural preservative for fruit. Simple compotes like this one tend to use a small amount of sugar, so make sure you store it well covered.
Related recipes you might like:
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Simple Homemade Blueberry Compote
A compote is a simple preparation of fruit and sweetened juice, where the blueberries are cooked briefly with sugar until they release their natural juices, creating a syrup thinner than that of a topping or sauce. It's quick, easy, and has a deep flavor. Use it on pancakes, porridge, muesli, rice pudding, french toast, yogurt, shortcake, and other desserts.
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: About 4 cups
Ingredients
- 1 pound blueberries (fresh or frozen without thawing)
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 3 tablespoons water
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice (optional)
Instructions
- Wash the blueberries and reserve, no need to dry them.
- Put the sugar, water, and juice if used in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Lower the heat.
- Add the fruit and cook on medium-low heat until it comes to a slow simmer stirring a few times until the liquid starts to thicken and the berries soften slightly. You can cook them more or less depending on how soft and not you want the blueberries. Being so small and watery, they do soften quickly.
- Transfer the fruit to a bowl leaving the syrup in the saucepan. Using a skimmer for this step makes it very easy.
- Cook the juice a minute or two more so it thickens further and add it to the fruit. Let the mixture cool down and then cover the bowl with plastic wrap or put it in an airtight container or glass jar before refrigerating it. It lasts several weeks in the fridge.
- Use it cold, at room temperature or warm, it's really up to you depending on what you serve it with.
Notes
Organization: always read the recipe first and make sure you have all the ingredients, at the right temperatures, and also the rest of the equipment and space to make it. This will make the process so much easier!
Storing: keep the compote refrigerated in an airtight container or a bowl covered tightly with plastic wrap. You can also freeze it for a month (in a safe container) and let it come to room temperature before using it.
Uses: this simple blueberry compote recipe is lighter than a regular sauce. And one of those easy recipes that's the perfect topping for breakfast food like waffles, pancakes, porridge or oatmeal (my favorite way), chia pudding, french toast, or granola and plain yogurt, and also for desserts like vanilla ice cream, pound cake slice with a dollop of whipped cream, or cheesecake.
Amount of sugar: it can be adjusted depending on how sweet you want the finished sauce by adding a few extra tablespoons of sugar. But a fruit compote uses less sugar than a jam or thick topping with cornstarch.
Amount of liquid: if you find that after a stay in the refrigerator or freezer the liquid in the compote is less than you want, simply add a tablespoon of water at a time until you have the desired consistency. Keep in mind that the sweetness will be diluted a little with each addition. Another way of adding extra liquid is to make a simple syrup with half a cup of water and 2 tablespoons of sugar (medium heat until it boils) and add it to the compote you already made.
Other sweeteners: if you don't want to use sugar, you can add honey or pure maple syrup or some other type of sugar syrup you like to the saucepan with the berries and the water.
Flavorings: citrus can be used to flavor this homemade blueberry compote recipe. Add some orange zest or lemon zest at the beginning or a few drops of vanilla extract (or orange liqueur for a more sophisticated flavor). A little ground cinnamon goes well with it too.
Other berries: you can substitute the blueberries for other fresh berries (or frozen). There is a post in this blog with the recipe for strawberry compote.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Category: Fruit recipes
- Method: Cooking
- Cuisine: International
Nutrition
- Serving Size: ⅙
- Calories: 68
- Sugar: 13.9 g
- Sodium: 1 mg
- Fat: 0.3 g
- Carbohydrates: 17.4 g
- Protein: 0.6 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
Keywords: strawberry compote
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