Strawberry Compote

Ingredients

• 2 packs Strawberries
• 1–1.5 cup Sugar
• Water

Method

Hull the strawberries by cutting a cone around the crown with a small knife — discard the leaves and woody centre. Halve any berries larger than a walnut; leave small ones whole. This isn't decoration work; you're after even cooking, not uniform prettiness.

Place the fruit in a heavy-bottomed pot without adding water. Set it over medium heat and let the berries warm for a few minutes until they begin to collapse and release their juice. The natural liquid is all you need — added water dilutes the flavour and colour. Once they're visibly releasing juice and starting to break down, increase the heat to a rolling boiling motion. This agitation breaks down the cell walls faster than a gentler simmer and concentrates the fruit flavour through evaporation. Maintain this boil for 5 to 8 minutes. Watch for the bubbles to shift from bright red to a darker ruby-brown; this signals that the pectin is beginning to gel and the fruit sugars are caramelising slightly. The berries themselves will look almost dissolved — that's correct.

Remove from heat and add your sugar while the mixture is still hot, starting with 200 grams. Stir until it dissolves completely, then taste. The compote will taste less sweet as it cools (cold suppresses perception of sweetness), so aim for something that reads slightly over-sweetened now. Add sugar in 50-gram increments until you reach your target — 237 to 355 grams covers most preferences, though this depends on the inherent ripeness of your berries. Underripe fruit needs the higher end.

Pour into a bowl or jar and allow it to cool to room temperature, undisturbed. Don't stir or agitate; you're letting the pectin network set without breaking it. Once cooled, refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving. Cold temperatures chilling enhance the perceived acidity and brighten the flavour profile. The compote will keep for up to two weeks under refrigeration, though it thickens slightly each day as residual pectin continues to gel.