The felt cherry trees at the dacha are ripe. This spring they bloomed profusely.
But for some reason there are very few berries; only on one old tree are all the branches covered with red berries.
Either the frost damaged the flowers, or the rain washed them away.
But we had enough berries to eat, and the other day we picked the rest.
Because the birds also want to eat and can raid the entire bush in one day.
Once we've collected everything, we need to cook something. Felt cherry jam It's been standing there since last year, and I decided to make some compote. That same evening, we picked the dying strawberries and ripening raspberries.
So I decided to make some compote, adding some raspberries and strawberries to the cherries.
I ended up with four liter bottles: two pure cherry, one cherry and strawberry, and one cherry and raspberry. I wonder which compote will taste better?
How I made compote
First, I sorted through the berries, washed them well under running water, and placed them in a bowl to let the water droplets drain off.
I rinsed the bottles thoroughly and placed them in the oven at 150 degrees Celsius for 15 minutes to sterilize. Once the bottles had cooled slightly, I filled them almost halfway with berries. I always use plenty of berries to give the compote a rich, vibrant flavor. We don't eat the berries after the compote.
Although I remember when I was a kid, my brothers and I would eat every last berry and make compote in three-liter jars. Now, neither my kids nor my grandkids eat berries, let alone drink compote. So I make the bare minimum. We drink compote when the whole family gets together or on holidays.
I soaked the bottles with berries in hot water for 15 minutes. I poured it into a large saucepan and added sugar. I used 300 grams of sugar per 1 liter of water, or 1.5 cups. I brought the syrup to a boil and poured it over the bottles with berries.
The reason I pour it twice is because I keep it in a hallway closet at home. And the berries have pits, so it wouldn't hurt to warm the cherries thoroughly. I don't care if they fall apart or crack. I want the compote, not the berries; no one eats them anyway.
I rolled up the lids. I shook the bottles, twirled them, made sure the lids weren't leaking, and placed them on their sides under a warm blanket. If the compote is too sweet, you can always dilute it with water.