The cool thing to do with berries past their prime

Summer berries are whiz-bang beautiful right up until the time they aren’t. At overripe, they can still taste as good or even better, though, which is why industrious cooks get out their pie plates and jam pots and simmer for hours.

Here’s a quick alternative: Make a compote. Three other ingredients and low heat will help most of the fruit keep its shape while its juices form a rich-looking, barely sweet sauce you can spoon over just about anything.

Who knew warming spices could make such a cool dish?

4 to 8 servings (makes 1½ cups)

Serve with a whipped cream-Greek yogurt mixture and/or granola.

Recipe adapted from “The Ginger & White Cookbook,” by Tonia George, Emma Scott and Nicholas Scott (Mitchell Beazley, 2014). Ingredients

1 pound mixed fresh berries, such as raspberries, blueberries and blackberries, stemmed and rinsed

3 tablespoons dark brown

sugar

One 3-inch cinnamon stick 2 whole star anise Directions

Combine the berries, dark brown sugar, cinnamon stick and star anise in a heavy pot over low heat. Cover and cook for about 10 minutes, until the fruit has started to break down but still retains some shape. (You don’t want something that looks like jam.) Discard the cinnamon stick and star anise. Serve chilled.

Make ahead: The compote can be refrigerated for up to 1 week.

Nutritional analysis: Per serving, based on 8: 40 calories, 0 g protein, 10 g carbohydrates, 0 g fat, 0 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 0 mg sodium, 3 g dietary fiber, 7 g sugar