This simple preserve sings with natural sweetness from seasonal apples or pears. 

Recipe: Nicola Galloway

This spiced compote sauce has no added sugar, letting the gentle cooking concentrate the fruit’s natural sweetness. The simplest approach is to quarter the fruit and cook with the pips and skin intact. Then use a mouli to both purée and separate out the tougher bits. Investing in a mouli (rotational grater) is inexpensive and is invaluable when preserving large quantities.

INGREDIENTS

About 4kg cooking apples or pears
¼ cup water
1 teaspoon cinnamon
pinch of cloves
pinch of nutmeg

METHOD

Chop apples or pears into quarters. Remove cores, and peel if the skin is tough. (Alternatively, leave the cores and skin intact and use a mouli once cooked.)
Place fruit into a large pot. Add the water and spices, cover with a lid and gently cook over a low heat.

The fruit will slowly steam and release its juice. Leave to cook for 30 to 40 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the apple or pear pieces are very soft. Cool a little then mash purée with a stick blender into a smooth compote (or use a mouli). Spoon into prepared jars and secure the lids.

Use either the water bath or open pan preserving techniques to bottle the sauce into jars. Once the jars are completely cool, check the lids, making sure they have properly sealed. Name and date the jars and store in a cool, dark pantry for up to 6 months.

Once opened, keep refrigerated and consume within 1 week.

Makes about 4 x 700ml jars

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This is an extract from our special edition In Your Backyard: Living Lightly. The next edition, In Your Backyard: Sustainability Through the Seasons, is filled with practical advice on self sufficiency making small steps to a lighter footprint. Order online here.