Sour Cherry Compote

Sour Cherry Compote

Based on Deb Perelman's recipe in Smitten Kitchen.

Ingredients

Makes

  • 2/3 cup water
  • 6 tablespoons sugar
  • 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 1/2 vanilla bean, halved lengthwise
  • 2 1/2 cups (1 pound) cherries, pitted

Preparation

  1. Combine water, sugar and lemon juice in heavy medium saucepan. Scrape seeds from vanilla bean into saucepan; add bean. Bring to boil over high heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Boil until thin syrup forms, about 7 minutes.
  2. Reduce heat to medium; add cherries. Stir 1 minute. At this point, if you would like to keep your cherries whole and lovely as they are, stop cooking it and you’re done. I ended up letting mine simmer about 5 minutes more, until the cherries were slightly more broken down, but quite far from a jam.
  3. Cool the compote, then cover and chill until cold.
  4. Do ahead: Keeps in the fridge for at least a week.