Blackberry and Apple Compote

I love homemade jams, compotes and curds. With a glut of apples kindly gifted to me this week and with the most delicious sun-ripened blackberries sitting like jewels on my walking route, it seem rude not to make this compote.

For this compote you will need one large or several small jars. Please sterilise them - either running them through a dishwasher cycle or cleaning them in hot water.

Ingredients:

250g Caster Sugar

550ml Water

1 Lemon (strips of zest only)

2 Sticks Cinnamon

2 Star Anise

500g Apples (peeled, cored and sliced/diced)

250g Blackberries

How I make my Blackberry and Apple Compote:

1. Place the sugar and water into a large saucepan and let the sugar dissolve over a moderate heat. Then add the lemon, cinnamon and star anise, turn up the heat and bring the liquid to a boil.

2. Reduce to a simmer then add the apples and cook for about 5-7 minutes until they start to disintegrate. Then add the blackberries and simmer the mixture until the fruit has broken down and the mixture becomes thick and smoother. Mine took about 25 minutes.

3. Take the saucepan off the heat and let the mixture cool down for a few minutes. Carefully remove the lemon strips, cinnamon and star anise.

4. Using a hand-held blender, blend the mixture until it becomes ultra smooth and then carefully transfer the mixture into your sterilised jars.

5. My mixture was slightly runny at this stage but it thickened up more as it cooled.

6. Goes well with pancakes, over cake (goes very well with my Apple Cake), ice cream and just anything really!