Polish traditions run strong on holidays (have you seen my post about Easter baskets?) and Christmas Eve is no exception! Our family sits down to a large dinner consisting of 12 separate dishes (yes 12!) and they are all served one by one so you can properly taste and enjoy each item. The 12 dishes originally stem from the 12 disciples but as kids we were more excited for all the food than the reason behind the meal.
One item that always ended up on the table (above and beyond the 12 dishes) was a fruit compote that was so delicious we would drink it before the third dish even came around. My mom varies this compote drink up every year to keep things interesting – some times its made from dried fruit but other times from fresh/frozen fruit. There are so many variations and it always turns out beyond Delicious! Check out the recipe below for all the details!
As mentioned you can make many many varieties of this compote drink. I wanted to start out with the most basic traditional one that has been used for decades and reminds me of a twist on mulled cider.
Some other fruit variations:
- Strawberries, currants and raspberries
- Plain cherries – the star of their own show!
- Gooseberries – so delicious
- Grapes, plums and cherries
Some fruit mixes require the addition of sugar if you prefer the drink on the sweeter side but we mostly leave it as is and find it sweet enough from the fruits themselves. Feel free to add some sugar to the pot if you find it not sweet enough!
What is a Fruit Compote?
- Fresh, canned or dried fruit that has been heated and stewed in juice, wine or syrup. (Like I mentioned we do frozen as well (works great) and judge the fruit sweetness before adding in more syrup etc. The fruits themselves create a wonderful juice that everything stews in.)
- Warm spices help bring out the fruit flavours.
- Perfect warm or cold!
As mentioned we have done a variety of variations over the years but this recipe provides the most basic traditional start to compote. It encompasses a variety of dried fruits all perfect for the cold winter season.
I hope you have fun warming up with this spiced beverage!
What is your favourite fruit beverage to make? Comment below!
Make sure to tag #jmsentertaining if you make your own fruit compote!
TRADITIONAL POLISH WIGILIA COMPOTE
Perfect cozy warm winter drink!
Ingredients
- 100 grams Dried Apples
- 100 grams Dried Pear
- 100 grams Prunes
- 100 grams Dried Apricots
- 2 sticks Cinnamon
- 20 Cloves
- 4 litres Water
Instructions
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Place the dried apples, dried pears, prunes, dried apricots, cinnamon sticks and cloves into a very large pot.
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Add in 4 litres of water to the fruit. Stir.
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Let the fruit sit and soak in water for at least 1 hour of time.
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Bring pot to a boil and let compote simmer for 45 mins.
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After 45 mins turn off pot and let the compote sit for 15 mins.
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Can be consumed warm or cold! Both are delicious!
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Enjoy!
