Blueberry Compote Recipe

I love January because it is when my blueberries start to ripen and I can harvest a large basket of berries every week. I do love to just eat them as they are but as it often coincides with other fruit ripening at the same time, I often freeze much of my blueberry harvest so that I can use it during the year. Blueberries couldn’t be easier to freeze: just lay them out in a baking tray to free-flow freeze and then tip them into a bag. Then they are ready to use whenever you need them – no need to thaw in most cases.

Blueberry syrup is one of my favourite recipes but is a bit of a pain straining it through a sieve to get a smooth consistency. I have also made a blueberry sauce but it is designed to be eaten immediately or used within a few days. I wanted to find a blueberry recipe that had whole blueberries in it but that could also be bottled for later use (or to give away as gifts). This Blueberry Compote Recipe works very well.

The recipe makes about 1 1/2 cups but I usually tend to make a double batch.

2 cups blueberries (fresh or frozen)

1/2 cup water

3/4 cup sugar

Strips of fresh lemon zest

1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice