Got some leftover apples?

tossed into the compost. Unfortunately, there’s nothing we can do to salvage them. But let’s keep this article positive and focus on the ones that are still in a reasonable state, the ones who made it to the ‘good’ pile because, lucky them, we’re going to give them a second chance. A new life! We’ll soon be transforming them into an exquisite compote, using a family recipe originating in rural Southern Germany of hundreds of years ago. And we should feel really good about it too, because we’re being very environmental today. It’s a perfect solution for imperfect fruit.

Before we head to the recipe, I’d like to draw your attention to the striking similarity between the words ‘compote’ and ‘compost’, both of which come from the same ancient French word for mixture: ‘composte’. (Indeed, a mere few days are between the phase where a piece of fruit is still compote-worthy, and when it’s too late and the fruit has spoiled too much. An overripe apple that is still fine to cook on Tuesday might be compost-bound by the weekend.)

You’ll notice that there’s no added sugar or any other sweeteners in the following recipe. The reduced fruit is wonderfully sweet as is. Also, it will fill the house with a fruity aroma as it cooks down. That’s when family members start showing up in the kitchen, drawn by the promising fragrance, uttering, “Ooh!” and “Mmm!” or something of the kind, lifting the lid to peer longingly at its content, inhaling its sweet steam.

Anyway, I’m heads up.

Now for the question: to peel or not to peel? I don’t usually peel apples with reasonable skins. That said, many people don’t like the uneven texture that results from including the skin in the recipe. I’ll leave the decision to you, then.

I’ve kept the following recipe simple by using apples only, but many other leftover fruits can go into our compote. Think bananas, pears, very ripe plantains, peaches, apricots, mangoes, and even oranges and nectarines. Raisins are a delicious addition too.

Without further ado, here’s the recipe.

Preps:

Making: 10 minutes

Cook time: 10-15 minutes

Serves: 2-3

You will need:

3-4 apples, cored and diced

2 1/2 tbsp. butter/coconut oil A sprinkle ground cinnamon just giving you the

A small splash of fresh lemon (roughly equivalent to 1 tbsp.)

Optional for serving: cream/plain yogurt

How to make it:

1. Place apples and butter/coconut oil in a pot or frying pan (which has a lid).

2. Sprinkle cinnamon and splash lemon on top of your apples. Mix with a wooden spoon. Cover.

3. Cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until fruit is tender. Don’t let it scorch at the bottom. (If you want the compote to turn into applesauce, keep cooking a little longer until the fruit falls apart. Note that the resulting applesauce will be quite thick given that we hadn’t added any water during the cooking process. Pounding the mixture with a wooden spoon or blending it after letting it cool, might be in order.) See that velvety paste at the bottom of your pan? That’s apple butter.

4. Serve hot or cold, with whipped cream, or yogurt.

Today we turned old fruit into a lovely dessert and took a step to reduce food waste in our kitchens. More fruit recipes in my recipe book ‘Fresh Fruit Anyone? Easy Homemade Fruit Treats from Scratch’ whipped