{Day 8} Fruit Compotes: Blue & Red Berry Mint and Orange Lavender

I love me some Jam, but I truly adore and delight in compotes. To me they are like the unruly stepchildren of the jam world. Born of the same genetics but never quite pulled themselves together.

What I really love about  compotes though is the syrupy texture, and in the case of the berries, a sassier taste from not cooking the fruit into total submission.

Compotes are quicker and easier to make and can be used in a so many fantastic ways. In every circumstance that you would use maple syrup a compote would be great. I use mine on waffles or pancakes, on my morning yogurt, or as is our family Christmas morning tradition, it’s warn berry compote over freshly made blintzes.

But not just for the morning. A jar of compote on hand can be ladled over Angel Food Cake to make a snazzy last minute dessert and, of course, ice cream or frozen yogurt is a natural.

Orange Compote with Lavender Flowers atop Greek Yogurt

I’ll tell you a secret too, which is that I pretty much always use frozen fruits. Either directly purchased from the market, or from my freezer bin. I keep a plastic lidded bin in my freezer at the ready. From time to time my fruit loving eyes are bigger than my stomach and fresh berries wait for no one, so as they start to demonstrate their diminishing rein, I’ll toss them into the bin. From there comes smoothies or as in this case, compotes.

The combinations are limitless, but these are my two favorites.

I’m not a fan of canning compotes and feel they are best put up and refrigerated. They should be sooner eaten than later, and you’ll want to.