Red cherry plum compote

Name: Red cherry plum compote
Ingredients: 2 kg red cherry plums; 4000 ml water; 300 g sugar; 45 ml lemon juice; 2 g fresh mint; 2 g fresh mint for serving (optional); 12 ice cubes (optional)

Syrup - Red cherry plum compote by Viviana E. - Recipia

Red cherry plum compote is served chilled, with soft fruit and sweet-tart juice; a few ice cubes keep it cold in the glass. The fruit simmers whole in sugar water, and the lemon and mint go in at the end; the juice takes on their reddish color and stays light, sweet-tart, with a subtle hint of lemon. I had lots of red cherry plums, too many to use in time, and thought I’d make them into compote; I choose fruit that’s still firm. Prep: 20 minutes. Cook: 16-17 minutes. Rest: 120 minutes. Total time: 156-157 minutes. Servings: 12. About 180 kcal and 2 g protein per serving.

Ingredients

2 kg red cherry plums
4000 ml water
300 g sugar
45 ml lemon juice
2 g fresh mint
2 g fresh mint for serving (optional)
12 ice cubes (optional)

Preparation

1. Remove the stems and little leaves from the cherry plums, then wash the fruit. 2. Put the cherry plums in a pot with 4000 ml cold water and 300 g sugar. Boil for 15 minutes, until they rise to the surface. 3. Add the lemon juice and 2 g mint. Let it simmer for 1-2 minutes, then turn off the heat. 4. Let the compote cool, then refrigerate it for 120 minutes. Serve with 2 g fresh mint and 12 ice cubes.

Notes

Red cherry plums that are ripe but firm work best here; very soft ones may split before they’ve all risen to the surface. Small fruit softens faster than large fruit, so watch for them floating as the cooking time comes to an end and don’t stir vigorously in the pot. If the juice seems too tart after chilling, sweeten each glass with a teaspoon of honey and stir until it dissolves. Divide the fruit among the glasses before pouring in the juice, so each serving gets a few pieces. Serve it with semolina pudding when you want something cold after a meal. Keep the covered pot in the fridge and use the compote within 3 days; before pouring, stir gently if the fruit has settled at the bottom. For a different flavor, you can replace the mint in the pot with a thin strip of lemon peel and remove it before pouring. Put the ice cubes straight into the glasses, not into the whole pot, so they don’t dilute the remaining juice.