Stewed blackberry and apple is a simple and easy to make recipe that is bursting with the flavours of Autumn. Apple and blackberry compote is delicious for breakfast or served as a healthy dessert.
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What you'll love about the recipe
- Perfect for a glut of apples and fresh blackberries.
- Quick and easy to make.
- Nutritious and healthy. Blackberries are packed with antioxidants, and this blackberry and apple recipe is a great source of fibre.
- Delicious and versatile. Top your morning porridge or granola with stewed blackberry and apple. Or enjoy it as a fruit dessert or a healthy snack at any time of day.
- Gluten free, dairy free, sugar free, vegan.
Ingredients
Apples. I like to make this recipe with cooking apples which are delicious and fluffy when cooked.
If you are buying cooking apples in the UK, they are likely to be Bramleys. Homegrown apples could be one of many varieties, all of which will be suitable.
You can also make the recipe with any variety of eating apples or dessert apples. You'll need to cook the apples for a little longer - see the instructions below.
Blackberries. You may be lucky enough to get wild blackberries for free in the countryside. In August many hedgerows are covered in brambles, and I pick loads to stash in the freezer.
Blackberries from the supermarket tend to be larger, although I love the flavour of the wild brambles.
You can also make the recipe with frozen blackberries - they'll defrost quickly in the heat of the cooked apples.
If you've got leftover blackberries, why not make some easy blackberry sauce or try these healthy oatmeal bramble muffins.
Optional ingredients
Depending on the sweetness of your apples, you might want to add a little honey, maple syrup or a spoonful of sugar.
Taste the stewed fruit, and if necessary add just a little sweetener at a time until it suits your taste.
I make my stewed blackberry and apple without sugar, but the apples which I used were not as tart as Bramleys.
How to make stewed blackberry and apple
Start by prepping the apples. Whether you choose to peel the apples is down to personal choice. You will get a nicer textured compote if you peel them, but you will lose some of the nutrients in the apple.
Then slice the apple away from the core. Cut into slices about 5mm thick so that the apples cook through evenly.
The apples will start to go brown as you cut them. You can stop the browning with a squeeze of lemon juice, or just work quickly and cook them straight away. You won't notice a little bit of browning once the apples and blackberries are mixed together;)
Put the apples in a pan along with 2 tablespoon of water to stop then sticking to the pan. Cover with a lid and place on a low heat.
Simmer gently until the apples start to soften and there's a rich, delicious apple-y smell. Cooking apples will take about 10 minutes to soften, some varieties of eating apples can take up to 20 minutes.
Gently stir the blackberries into the nearly cooked apple. Simmer for another 5 minutes until all the fruit is soft and cooked.
I like some of the blackberries and apples to keep their shape, but you can cook them for a little longer if you prefer.
Expert tip
To turn blackberry and apple compote into a quick no bake crumble, top with easy stovetop granola.
Serving and storage
I usually serve this stewed blackberry and apple recipe cold, but you could serve it warm too.
As well as adding it to oatmeal and other cereals, it's also perfect on top of pancakes and waffles.
It's a delicious fruit topping that adds 2 of your 5 a day.
If you're serving cooked blackberry and apple as dessert, you could add some yogurt, ice cream or easy homemade custard.
You can store blackberry and apple compote covered in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Frequently asked questions
Blackberries are only in season for a short while, so it's nice to pick as many as you can whilst they're available. Blackberries freeze very well. I open freeze them on a tray, and then tip them into a freezer bag. That way they don't stick into a huge clump. I usually add frozen blackberries to recipes that are being cooked without defrosting them first.
In addition to this stewed blackberry and apple, you could also try blackberry and apple crumble, or delicious oatmeal blackberry muffins. Or you can make a simple blackberry sauce, or a quick low sugar jam.
Yes, stewed blackberry and apple can be frozen. Seal in an airtight container for up to 3 months. After freezing, the stewed blackberry and apples will be slightly softer.
Other stewed fruit recipes you might like
Healthy stewed fruit is delicious for breakfast or dessert, so why not try some of these other recipes when the fruit is in season?
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Recipe
Stewed Blackberry and Apple
Equipment
- lidded sauce pan
Ingredients
- 400 g apples
- 200 g blackberries
Instructions
- Peel the apples if you prefer. Or you can leave them unpeeled which makes them a little more nutritious.
- Cut the apple from the core and cut into slices about 5mm thick.
- Add the apple to a saucepan, along with 2 tablespoons of water. Cover the pan, and simmer the apples gently until they are starting to soften. If you are using cooking apples, this will take about 10 minutes. Dessert apples will take longer, up to 20 minutes.
- Add the blackberries and gently stir to mix. Simmer for another 5 minutes until the fruit is all soft and cooked through.
Notes
- You can use either cooking apples or dessert apples to make this recipe.
- You can use frozen blackberries if you prefer. There's no need to defrost - just add them to the warm apples.
- The apples will start to brown as you slice them. Either work quickly or use a squeeze of lemon juice if you want to stop them from browning.
- Stewed blackberry and apple can be stored covered in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- It can also be frozen, although the fruit will be a little softer.
Nutrition
Please note nutritional information is per serving and is provided for guidance only.
Frances Judith Dickinson says
Quite delicious. Very nice to the guidelines, which worked!