No. 3376 — Fourth Method: Preserving Fruit in Compote Jars

General note. (1) Fruit and berries intended for winter compotes should be fully ripe and of the best quality.

(2) Use glass preserving jars called compotiers, wider below than above. These were covered with animal bladder, required to be dry and free of odour and grease. The author soaks the bladder for an hour in tepid salted water, rinses thoroughly, places a clean linen piece beneath and ties with twine.

(3) Instead of bladder, the author describes making albumen paper. Whip egg whites to a stiff foam, adding 1 gram sea salt and ½ gram refined soda for each white. Mix until dissolved; dip sheets of ordinary writing paper so they soak through, dry completely and pass a hot iron over them.

(4) Fill the compotiers as described below, leaving about three finger-widths of space at the top. Cover with bladder or albumen paper and tie with twine. Stand in cold water in a deep saucepan or cauldron fitted at the bottom with a perforated board intended to keep the jars from cracking.

(5) Wrap the jars in straw to prevent them knocking against one another as the water boils.

(6) Heat gently at first, then more strongly, so the jars warm gradually.

(7) Once the surrounding water boils, time from that moment and boil for 6–20 minutes, depending on the fruit. Move the vessel away and allow the water to cool before removing jars to a dry place.

(8) The author recommends gently turning the jars upside-down by hand every two weeks in the belief this prevents mould on the syrup surface.

(9) Since the syrup becomes thin over time, when serving the stored fruit as compote, remove the cover and pour away a few spoonfuls from the top. Transfer the rest of the syrup to a pan, add sugar, cook until thick, cool and pour over the arranged fruit. The author advises this only for clear syrups from peaches, pears, plums and grapes.

Dark-coloured syrup was used in less-sweet compotes served with roasts. (10) Mixed fruit arranged attractively on a dish with clear syrup was considered especially decorative. Any remaining dark fruit syrup could be combined, sweetened if necessary and used for dried-fruit compotes.

(11) If mould appeared later, the historical instruction was to lift off the bladder and mould and cover again, and to turn or shake the compotier gently from time to time to discourage mould formation.

(12) If preserves began to sour, the author directed reheating the covered jars in tepid water and boiling the surrounding water vigorously for ten minutes, then letting jars cool in it.

(13) For every pound berries or fruit use 1 pound sugar and ¾ glass water. First make a thick syrup, skim the foam with blotting paper called bibula, cool and pour over the fruit packed into compotiers.

(14) The fruits the author considers best for this method are gooseberries, peaches, pears, small amber apples, raspberries, apricots, plums, strawberries, cherries, grapes and sweet cherries.