Cherry compote with pits

Cooking method

1. Step 1:

   

   How do you make cherry compote with the pits in? Gather the ingredients from the list—only three are essential: cherries, sugar, and water. If you like, you can add a pinch of citric acid to make the compote a little brighter in flavor; the acid also helps keep the drink a lovely vivid color. You can use either fresh or frozen cherries for this compote.

2. Step 2:

   

   Sort through the cherries carefully, removing any stems, leaves, and spoiled fruit. Then rinse them and drain them in a colander until all the water has run off.

3. Step 3:

   

   Take a pot of the right size. Use an enameled or stainless-steel pot—in an aluminum one the acid can react with the metal. Pour clean, filtered water into the pot and add the citric acid and sugar. Set it on the stove and bring it to a boil over high heat, stirring so the sugar fully dissolves.

4. Step 4:

   

   Adjust the amount of sugar to your taste—you can leave it out entirely. The same goes for the water: the less you use, the more concentrated the compote will be.

5. Step 5:

   

   Then lower the cherries into the boiling syrup. Add them to the pot carefully, a little at a time, so you don't get splashed. Once the syrup comes back to a boil, turn the heat down to low. Cook the compote over low heat for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally with a spoon and skimming off any foam that forms.

6. Step 6:

   

   That's plenty of time for the cherries to give up their flavor and color to the drink. Don't cook the compote any longer, or the cherries will burst and the drink will look unappealing.

7. Step 7:

   

   The compote is ready. Serve it warm or cold, with or without something baked on the side. Once it's cooled, store it in the refrigerator, poured into clean glass jars or bottles. Enjoy your meal!