Easy Strawberry Compote
This compote is a step short of a topping or sauce, and not as rich or thick. It's quick, easy, and has a deep strawberry taste. A sweet, perfect topping for pancakes, rice pudding, french toast, ice cream, shortcakes, cheesecake and other desserts.
Servings 5 cups, about
Ingredients
- 1 pound fresh strawberries if using frozen, don't thaw and reduce the added water amount
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar white can also be used
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice or orange juice, which is sweeter
- 3 tablespoons water
Instructions
- Wash 1 pound fresh strawberries, hull them, leave them whole if small or cut them in half, and put them in a large bowl with 3 tablespoons brown sugar. Stir lightly and let stand 45 minutes to macerate. The strawberries will release their natural juices.
- Put the berries with the collected juices, 1 tablespoon lemon juice and 3 tablespoons water in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. As soon as it starts to boil, lower the heat.
- Cook over 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 you like them, but we don’t want the strawberries to turn to mush or break up much.
- Transfer the fruit to a bowl, leaving the syrup in the saucepan. Using a skimmer or other type of colander for this step makes it very easy. Cook the juice a minute or two more so it thickens further, and mix it back with 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 a few 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
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 a thick topping with cornstarch.
Other sweeteners: if you don't want to use sugar, you can add honey or maple syrup, or some other type of sugar syrup you like, to the saucepan with the strawberries and the water.
Flavorings: citrus can be used to flavor this homemade strawberry compote recipe. Add some orange zest or lemon zest at the beginning or a few drops of vanilla extract. Also, a tablespoon of orange liqueur can be added for a more sophisticated flavor.
Uses: This delicious strawberry compote recipe is lighter than a regular topping or sauce. And one of those easy recipes that's great 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.
Storage: Keep it in the fridge in an airtight container or glass jar. It'll last for a few weeks. You can freeze it in an airtight freezer-safe container. It will last for a month. The texture might change a bit when you defrost them.
