Friday, December 16, 2016

Dried fruit...


Can you gather this merry mix
Of dried apricots, figs, and tart cherries?
Maybe also raisins, apples, dried oranges,
Prunes, and cranberries? Sprinkle
On salt, cinnamon, cloves, and a little sugar
To sweeten the stew. Please
Enjoy this delightful treat, a gift from me to you.

Years ago, a very dear friend shared this recipe with me in a card. I have been making it ever since and enjoy a dollop of it on my cereal every morning. It freezes well, too.

In a large pan, combine:

3 C. mixed chopped dried fruits
2 apples, peeled, cored, and chopped into bite-size pieces
¼ to ½ C. brown sugar
Heaping ½ tsp. ground cinnamon
¼ tsp. ground cloves
¼ tsp. salt

Almost completely cover the fruit with water. Stir the mixture. Bring to a boil and then lower heat to simmer until the fruit is good and soft, stirring occasionally. 

It keeps well in a glass jar in the fridge or frozen in an airtight container. When I freeze it, I usually lay a folded piece of wax paper over the surface before putting on the lid. This seems to discourage freezer burn. Thaw in fridge.

It’s great on cereal, on a bagel with cream cheese, mixed into fresh ricotta or yogurt, etc. The tart cherries and dried mandarin oranges give it an extra special zing. ENJOY!




1 comment:

Stacie Alison said...

This compote looks amazing!
Thanks for the wonderful gift!
~Stacie