Berry Compote

02Method

1. Put the berries, sugar, lemon juice and water in a small saucepan over medium heat.
2. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 5-8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the berries soften and release their juices. Crush some with the back of a spoon if you like.
3. For a thicker sauce, mix the corn flour with a tablespoon of cold water, stir it in, and simmer for 1 minute until glossy.
4. Taste and add more sugar or lemon juice if needed. Serve warm or chilled.

03Notes & substitutions

• Use any berries - strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, boysenberries or a mix. Frozen berries need no thawing.
• Add a strip of orange peel, a vanilla pod or a pinch of cinnamon while it simmers for extra flavour.
• Reduce the sugar for tart berries to taste, or use honey instead.
• Serve over yoghurt, porridge, pancakes, ice cream, cheesecake or pavlova.
• Cook it down for 10 minutes longer for a jammy spread.

04Common mistakes

• Boiling too hard — high heat turns the berries to mush and scorches the sugar; keep it at a gentle simmer.
• Adding too much sugar up front — ripe berries vary in sweetness; start small and add more at the end.
• Skipping the lemon — it brightens the flavour and stops it tasting flat or overly sweet.
• Using it on hot pancakes without chilling — it is fine warm, but it thickens as it cools, so judge the texture once it has.

05Storage & leftovers