INSTANT JAM/FRUIT COMPOTE. Low-sugar, Easy-peasy, Frugal

GREAT FOR USING UP FRUIT THAT'S SOFT BUT NOT ROTTEN...

Strawberry Compote: fast, easy, oh-so-delicious and good for you!

Those half-price packets of fresh berries because they're on a sell-by date?  They're usually off their best and it's not a good idea to freeze them.  Make use of them in smoothies or fruit salads.

OR save the berries in an unbelievably easy, delicious way by making instant jam or compote.  The technique is used repeatedly on the BBC's Saturday Kitchen but is also used regularly in high-end commercial kitchens.

All you need is a frying pan, fruit, a bit of water, a bit of sugar and a few drops of vanilla essence.  Use one fruit or a mix and as much or as little sugar as you like.  For a juicy compote to serve over ice cream or with cake, add more liquid; for a thickish jam, less.  Orange juice can be substituted for water.

Method:

1. Put a heavy-bottomed frying pan over med-high heat.
2. Remove any bruised or rotten bits of fruit
3. Add fruit, a bit of sugar (try a minimum amount first, say a teaspoon or tablespoon) and a small amount of water - enough so the fruit doesn't stick - to the pan.
   
4. Cook until the berries begin to pop and the juices begin to run.  Add vanilla extract. Taste; you'll be surprised by its sweetness but if necessary, add more sugar, bit by bit
   
5. For a loose compote, add water until it reaches the consistency you like; this will be perfect for pouring over ice cream.
6. For jam, let the mix cook down until and nearly spreadable, 5-10 mins  
7. Keeps in the fridge three days.

Tip:

• Once the compote/jam is cooled, it can be frozen
• This method is also useful when supermarkets sell large quantities of berries because of a glut!  
• It works equally well with fresh or frozen berries.
• Fruit can be frozen once in its raw state and again when cooked, but no more.

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Copyright: This recipe has been developed by B M Lee/ Bright Sun Enterprises and may not be reproduced, in any form, without the author's written permission.