EASY PRESERVES (JAMS) and COMPOTES
Humans are able to, almost magically, remove all traces of summer during the first week of September and focus on new fall projects and schedules. However, Mother Nature doesn’t follow the human calendar. She takes a few weeks more to work with summer produce before declaring a season change and introducing her autumn fruits and vegetables.
Late summer produce, though not as picture-perfect as that picked at peak season, has benefits of its own. It’s often sold in bulk, especially at arm Markets, and it has less water content, therefore firmer textured flesh, which holds up better in processing, particularly cooing.
So now is the time to preserve some summer produce, ether as gifts or as bright reminders of sunny days during cold winter ones. I’ve posted on this subject several times, even focusing on specific items, strawberries (May 18, 2J017), zucchini (Sept15, 2016), gifts (Sept.10, 2013), two comprehensive posts on freezing (Sept. 13, 2018 and Sept. 20, 2018) and two others (Sept.23, 2016 and Sept. 10, 2020)
Then an article in the May-June 2024 Cook’s Illustrated, simplifying preserves or jams, made me realize I’d overlooked not only that option but also my very favorite method of processing fresh fruit, compotes. Jams are familiar to everyone but compotes may need a bit of definition.
I love compotes and make them of fresh fruit year round. Basically, they’re classified as a sauce but, depending on the amount of water added, they can be used in many ways: as a breakfast or dessert dish, optionally with cream, as a spread or sauce, as a stuffing for pastry, optionally thickened with cornstarch, as a toping for other foods, cakes, cereals, meats, as a basis for salsa.-it’s a long list. Compotes can be made using frozen fruit, and, I’ve discovered, re-frozen. They’re a healthy choice too because they need only enough sugar to off-set the tartness of the fruit, not enough to turn them into a confection. The first time you make one, add the sugar gradually, taste often and you’ll be fine.
Jam or preserves are familiar and loved from childhood. The recipes are similar to those for compotes and jam can also be used as a filling for small pastries or spread between cake layers but it’s too sweet to be served as a dish. Moreover, in jam, the fruit s mashed and jam has a gel to make it spread evenly and easily.
TIP: If you don’t have time to make these now, buy and freeze the fruit. That way you can make them when you wish later, and be able to offer them, freshly made all winter.
RECIPES
COMPOTES
General Directions Compotes: With many berries available in market all year this is a great way to add variety to menus. Use only raw fresh or frozen fruit. The amount of sugar varies with the fruit used, purpose of dish and personal preference. Add it gradually and allow to meld in before adding more. Do the same with the water. Start with 1 Tbs. and let the fruit thaw or cook a bit before adding more. Proceed with caution. A sauce needs more fluid than a filling and frozen contains more water than fresh fruit*. This also allows for adjusting individual mixtures to their intended purpose. Note: making compote is a quick process, so give it your full attention.
12 -16 oz. prepared fruit-washed, sorted, sliced including strawberries if large, stemmed, cored, stoned and peeled if necessary, but left whole or in large pieces.
3 Tbs.-1/4 cup (or optionally more) sugar to taste.
1-3 Tbs. or + water*-depending on fruit used and intended use fillings need less liquid, sauces more.
Put fruit in a saucepan, over medium heat, with 1 Tbs. water and 1 Tbs. sugar. Stirring regularly, but gently to avoid breaking fruit pieces, watch as fruit thaws and/or begins to cook and wilt. Add 1 Tbs. water and 1 Tbs. sugar continue stirring and add water by tablespoon as necessary and sugar by tablespoon to taste until fruit is cooked but still retains form and texture. Cranberries will pop until cooked through. Allow to cool and if not using right away, store, chilled, in a covered container. Can be frozen, top covered with plastic wrap inside container. Allow to thaw naturally.
If a thicker consistency is wanted, say for a pastry stuffing, sprinkle, do not spoon, about 1 tsp. cornstarch over the mixture as the 2nd. Tbs. of water is added. Keep constant stirring to desired thickness.
*Flavorings: Juice, tea, flavored water, soft drinks can be substituted for the water… Spices and herbs can be added at the start of cooking.
Warm Pear-Cranberry Compote*: Serves 4 From-Recipes 1-2-3 Menu Cookbook by Rozanne Gold
3/4 cup sugar
2 large, firm Comice pears
2 cups cranberries
2 cups water
Peel pears , cut into 4 segments, remove seeds. Bring sugar and water to a boil, add pears and cranberries. Lower heat and simmer 15-20 min until pears are just tender and berries have popped. Remove fruit to a serving dish and set aside. Continue to cook syrup until reduced to about ¼ cup and has consistency of honey. Pour syrup over fruit. Reheat briefly in microwave if desired, and serve in individual portions or over waffles or French Toast.
JAM-This is a new easy method to make jam written up in the May-June 2024 Cook’s Illustrated
Basic Recipe and Explanation of Ingredients: Yield 2 cups-For freshness, store In 1 cup jars
1 lb. prepared fruit-washed, hulled, stemmed, cored, cut into pieces, but not peeled. The peel adds color, flavor and contains pectin.
1 cup sugar-the sugar not only sweetens, it helps thicken by trapping the water in the fruit in the mixture, allowing the pectin molecules to bond. This gives jam its gelled consistency and spreadability.
3 Tbs. lemon juice-the acidity in the lemon juice not only extends shelf life and perks flavor but it also raises the PH level of the mixture to the ideal level for pectin to gel.
Directions
Place a butter plate in the freezer. Put the fruit into a deep pot and mash with a potato masher. Over medium heat, add the sugar and lemon juice and bring to a boil, stirring often. Once sugar is dissolved, continue to boil, stirring constantly until mixture reaches 217-220 degrees. Remove pot from the heat and plate from the freezer. Put a tablespoon of the jam on the plate, wait 2 min. and run a finger trough the jam. If it leaves a clean trail on the plate the jam is ready. If not return the mixture to the heat for 2-3 min. and try again.
Meanwhile prepare jars : warm them by filing with hot water. I do this by fllling them with water and microwaving them for 2-3 min. Empty te jars but don’t dry insides. Using a ladel, fill with the jam, and allow to cool to room temp. When cool, screw on lids and refrigerate 24 hr. before serving to let gel set. Stores, chilled, for 2-3 months.
Flavorings: see Compotes above, but be careful of adding fluids. They can dilute the jam.
NOTE: Reduce the temperature 2 degrees for every 1,000 feet above sea level. For an accurate reading, whisk the jam and move the thermometer back and forth a few times*Cranberries, only available fresh in November, are wonderful accents to foods all year. They freeze well in their bags, as bought.
