Recipe(tried): Ukrainian Dried Fruit Compote uzvar

Ukraine is know for its beautiful and abundant orchards. Fruit in many forms is eaten fresh and used cooked in dishes. Dried fruit is used year round. This compote, a traditional dish made from dried fruit, included dried legumes in olden times. In some regions, such as Bukovyna, the combination of dried prunes and beans still lives on. This recipe is a standard, widely used nineteenth-century version.

4 ounces dried prunes, pitted
4 ounces raisins
8 ounces dry apple slices
8 ounces dry pear quarters
1 cup honey (clover or wild)
1 stick cinnamon
6 cloves
2 quarts apple cider
juice and peel of 1 lemon

Combine fruit in a large pot and fill with enough cider to cover it by a third or more. (The fruit will absorb a lot of liquid.) Add cloves and lemon peel. Simmer until the larger pieces are cooked but not falling apart. Pour off liquid and cook until reduced by a third. To reduced liquid add honey, cinnamon, lemon juice, and fruit.

Reheat, stirring. Taste, and add more lemon juice if needed. It should not be cloyingly sweet; the taste of the fruit should dominate.

Serve warm in crystal or clear glass bowls. Keeps in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.