This traditional Polish dried fruit compote is quick and easy to make, low in sugar and full of flavour! This delicious beverage is served as part of Polish Christmas Eve dinner celebration.
Polish dried fruit compote ('kompot wigilijny') is the easiest of all the traditional Polish Christmas Eve recipes. It simply involves placing the dried fruit along with a few spices and water in a pot and boiling for about 15 minutes. It's quick and uncomplicated but really delicious and a great way of enjoying dried fruit.
Christmas Eve in Poland is celebrated with a completely different menu than Christmas Day (I suspect this is true for other countries too). According to tradition the Christmas Eve meal should consist of 12 dishes (thankfully side dishes and beverages count too!)! In my early days of cooking I took this custom very literally but I have now embraced a less stressful approach and stopped counting. Some dishes have been dropped but the one recipe I always make is traditional Polish dried fruit compote.
Ingredients
My main ingredient are prunes though the compote could include other varieties of dried fruit (more on that below). I boiled them in water along with cinnamon, cloves, ginger, nutmeg and allspice which add a lovely Christmassy feel to this recipe. I also add orange peel as well as lemon juice for a burst of citrus. The recipe also contains a small amount of added sugar.
How to make Polish dried fruit compote
1.Place all the ingredients (not the lemon juice) in a pot, cover and bring to the boil.
2. Lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Stir in the lemon juice and serve either hot or chilled.
What dried fruit to use
Polish Christmas Eve dried fruit compote usually consists of prunes, dried apples and pears (plus other varieties of dried fruit, such as apricots, though less often). However, I make mine using prunes only. For me prunes have a very intense and delicious flavour and the other fruit are just not needed. My recipe is simple, full of festive aromatic spices, citrus notes, and low in sugar.
Prunes are famous for their nutritional benefits including a fair amount of iron and fibre. This I suspect is the reason why this healthy compote is served on Christmas Eve, when a good proportion of the remaining 11 dishes is made using wild mushrooms and sauerkraut! Prunes help the digestive system cope with all this rich food and allow the fine tradition of overindulgence to continue. (Personal theory, but not completely unfounded I think:)
Be kind to your digestive system this Christmas (even if you are not planning on eating wild mushrooms or sauerkraut!) and make this healthy dried fruit compote!
Top tips
- What fruit to use: Polish dried fruit compote can be made with prunes only but you could also add dried apples, pears and apricots into the pot.
- Spices: I used cinnamon, cloves, allspice and nutmeg but you can replace these with 1 teaspoon of mixed spice/pumpkin spice.
- Storing: Refrigerate for up to 4 days.
- Freeze for up to 3 months.
Serving
This dried fruit compote can be served either hot or cold, with or without the fruit. (These can later be added separately to yogurt, granola, morning porridge or smoothies). I like my compote clear and cold and sip it throughout the Christmas Eve meal instead of wine. You can, but don't have to, separate the liquid from the fruit. If you leave the fruit in the compote, however, after a while it will absorb some of the liquid and you may have to add a splash of water into the compote.
More Polish Christmas Eve recipes
- Polish Gingerbread Loaf (Piernik) Recipe
- Polish Borscht Recipe (Christmas)
- Polish Potato and Cheese Pierogi (Ruskie) Dumplings
- Fish Casserole with Vegetables (Ryba po Grecku)
- Polish Kutia Recipe (Wheat Berry Pudding)
You might also like my easy tips on making a fresh fruit compote.
Keep in touch!
If you make this fruit compote recipe I'd love to know how it turned out for you. What dried fruits did you use? Let me know in the comments below, thanks!
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Polish Dried Fruit Compote Recipe (Christmas)
Ingredients
- 500 g (1.1 lb) prunes pitted
- 1.3 l (5.49 cups) water
- 6 cloves
- 1 short cinnamon stick
- 10 g (0.35 oz) fresh ginger piece about 1.5 cm long, peeled - not traditional, but works well!
- ¼ tsp each: nutmeg and allspice
- ½ orange, peel only
- 1.5 tbsp sugar
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
Instructions
- Place all the ingredients (not the lemon juice) in a medium size pot, cover and bring to the boil. Lower the heat and simmer for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Remove from the heat and add the lemon juice. Set aside to cool or serve hot. You can separate the fruit from the liquid before serving but this is optional. You can serve the compote using a ladle or transfer it into a jug.
Notes
- What fruit to use: Polish compote can be made with prunes only but you could also add dried apples, pears and apricots into the pot.
- Spices: I used cinnamon, cloves, allspice and nutmeg but you can replace these with 1 teaspoon of mixed spice/pumpkin spice.
- Serving: This compote can be served either hot or cold, with or without the fruit. (These can later be added separately to yogurt, granola, morning porridge or smoothies). I like my compote clear and cold and sip it throughout the Christmas Eve meal instead of wine. You can, but don't have to, separate the liquid from the fruit. If you leave the fruit in the compote, however, after a while it will absorb some of the liquid and you may have to add a splash of water into the compote.
- Storing: Refrigerate for up to 4 days.
- Not suitable for freezing.
Nutrition
*Nutritional information is automatically generated and should be considered as an estimate.
**A note about baking: If using a fan-assisted oven refer to your appliance's instructions and adjust the temperature accordingly.
Joan
Hi Monika. I have a large container of Polish Compote that came with a Polish dinner I order for Christmas. The recipe has all of the wonderful fruits that is in your recipe. For us, it is a little overwhelming (too strong). Is there a way I can mix it with cool whip or something else to make it more pleasant tasting to us? It's good but I'm sure there is a way to tone it down. Thank you.
Monika
Hi Joan, if it's too intense you can simply add a little water to dilute it. You could also add freshly squeezed orange juice (commercial orange juice might be too intense). Or a bit of both. If after diluting it the compote becomes a little bland you can liven it up with a little lemon juice. Hope this helps:)
Ed
This recipe definitely reminds me of a traditional Polish food, that I had years ago. It appears to me, as an ultra classical dish: in the Polish style, I recall ithe original dish, as being prepared with a 50/50 combination of prunes and apricots.
Monika
It is indeed a traditional Polish recipe but you can add different dried fruits into the compote, in addition to the prunes, including apricots of course. I remember form my own childhood people used to use dried apples a lot.
Charlotte Oates
I love the idea of traditional Christmas eve food. I don't think I have any (unless of course you count getting the bigger chocolate in the advent calendar 🙂 ). I think I might have to start my own traditions (although probably not 12 dishes!).
Monika
I know 12 dishes is a bit much (I never actually make 12!) but I love all the traditional dishes and don't really mind making them as it's only once a year after all! I'll be starting the cooking next Wednesday:)
cookingwithauntjuju.com
I really enjoy seeing and reading about traditional recipes from other countries. I would probably add different fruit like you suggested. Thanks for sharing your compote with Fiesta Friday 🙂
Monika
Thanks for stopping by! I'll be posting more Polish traditional recipes in the next 2 weeks:)
Midge
oooh this sounds lovely, the Peachicks like prunes so definitely have to give this a go!
Monika
Thanks! So glad you like it:)
Nico @ yumsome
This is calling my name - I adore prunes! It reminds me of a similar dish my Gran used to make for me if I was sick, although she used fewer spices, and served it with rice pudding.
This is definitely one to make!
Monika
Thanks! Rice pudding with prune compote sounds great! I am actually tempted to make it as I've got some compote leftover today. My youngest son adores prunes (why do people think prunes are only liked by old folks?) and rice pudding, so might make it as an after school treat for him:)
Nico @ yumsome
So funny you should say that about old folk and prunes - when I was at school, and prunes were on the menu, my classmates would often turn their noses up, saying they were old people food!
Maybe it's something to do with sluggish digestive systems?
Prunes seem to be more mainstream here in former Yugo countries than in Britain. And they're really cheap too!
Lovely to read that your son loves them too, and rice pudding - he is clearly a young man of impeccable taste!
Monika
Prunes are really cheap in Poland too. As for my son, not sure about impeccable taste, but he does have his moments...:)
Mandy Mazliah
This looks lovely Monika. I really like compote but I usually have it for breakfast. Thanks for adding to #CookBlogShare
Monika
Thanks Mandy! I have this for breakfast too, if there is any leftover from the previous night's feast:)