Peach Compote
After one month of traveling around Europe, I am back home, calmly settling back in. The past weeks have been incredible. I got to see different countries and meet new people and old friends. Images have formed in my mind and in my lens, if you wish I will sort through them and make a little post about it.
Today is all about peaches though. I did not plan this delicious peach compote to be my newest recipe, but coincidence and a great food network played along and now our fridge is filled with 4 jars of sweet smelling peach compote.
Last year I came across an organisation called “foodsharing”. A German Internet platform “that gives individuals, traders and manufacturers the opportunity to offer or collect excess food”. I mean… you can share your excess food! I have used it a couple times now, sometimes inserting food like fruits or vegetables I couldn’t finish before going away (yes, it does happen) and other times picking something up from lovely strangers. Unfortunately, it’s not widely used so far, but always worth checking out and with more people knowing and using, it has a bright future ahead! (Do you know of similar organizations in other countries? Let me know!)
So when I logged onto foodsharing two days ago and came across an insertion from a lovely family offering a big amount of fresh peaches from their own tree, I did not think twice. I packed a big basket + one of my flat mates and returned with two kilos (4.5 pound) of sweet peaches and a happy heart.
As someone with an infinite love for porridge, I knew immediately that I would like to make peach compote to use as a topping for my daily breakfasts. So there we sat, on a Saturday afternoon in our sunny kitchen, windows wide opened, music playing in the background and a table full of fresh peaches, happily preparing and filling our jars with fruit compote.
Follow
Peach Compote Recipe
- Prep Time: 55 minutes
- Servings: makes 4 big jars / 2 litres
Ingredients
- 2kg peaches (4.4lb)
- juice of 1 lemon
- a couple tbsp maple syrup or honey
- 2 tsp of spices like cardamom / cinnamon / vanilla
Instructions
- To remove the peel: If you wish to remove the fruits peel, bring water to boil in a big pot and add the ripe, whole peaches. Turn down the heat to medium and let them simmer for about 5 minutes or until they turn slightly soft. Remove the peaches from the pot and rinse with cold water. Carefully open up the peaches, removing the stones and peel.
- Place the pitted (and peeled) peaches in a big pot and bring it to boil, then turn it down to medium heat. Let the peaches simmer for about 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. In case that your peaches are not very juicy, add some water.
- Now add the lemon juice and either honey or maple syrup, as well as spices. How many tablespoons depends on how sweet you want the compote to be. I only add little to mine, as I like to keep the fruits' original sweetness and taste. The best way to figure out is to start slowly and always taste test.
- Keep it on the stove for a little while longer. The compote is done when the fluids are absorbed and the fruits are tender.
- To prepare the storing jars, clean them and their lids in boiling water. Fill the compote in the jars right away and seal them carefully. Keep the jars in the fridge, where they will last a couple weeks when sealed. Otherwise make sure to finish opened ones within the week. Enjoy!
