I love lots of texture in my PB&J sandwiches, so I always make them with whole grain bread, crunchy peanut butter, and fruit preserves—but I haven’t had to purchase an actual jar of preserves in years thanks to this fruit compote recipe. Frozen berries are a staple ingredient in my home, so it’s easy for me to make a batch of this compote whenever a craving hits. I sometimes also use this fruit spread as a replacement for maple syrup on my pancakes. I find the seeds in raspberries and blackberries off-putting and I don’t want to bother with the extra step of straining them out, so I always make this sauce using a mix of strawberries and blueberries.

INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 pounds (24 ounces) frozen mixed berries
2 tablespoons (1 ounce) dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon (1/2 ounce) lemon juice—about 1/2 lemon, juiced

TOOLS
medium (2-quart) pot, with lid
measuring cups and spoons, or kitchen scale
cooking spoon

METHOD
1. Combine all ingredients in pot over high heat. Cover pot with lid and let mixture cook until boiling—about 5 minutes.
2. Remove lid and reduce heat to medium. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until berries break down and sauce begins to thicken—about 15 minutes.
3. If necessary, mash berries with cooking spoon to achieve desired level of chunkiness.

NOTES & TIPS
• Fruit preserves and fruit compotes have nearly identical recipes. The main difference between them is that compotes are made to be consumed immediately, whereas preserves are made to be jarred for later consumption.
• The sauce will thicken slightly as it cools.

READY IN
20 minutes

YIELD
about 3 cups (24 ounces)