Cherry Compote with the Thermomix®

Cherry compote with the Thermomix® is ready in 20 minutes and makes 4 servings. Here is how we make it: wash 700 g of stoned cherries and place them in the steaming basket. Add 250 g water, 60 g sugar, 20 g cornflour, the seeds of half a vanilla pod and 1 pinch of cinnamon to the mixing bowl, mix for 3 sec / speed 8. Insert the steaming basket and cook for 10 min / 100°C / speed 1. Then add the cherries and mix for 20 sec / reverse direction / speed 2 to keep them whole. That is the full process. Everything below is about getting the result clean and not too sweet.

We have been making this compote every cherry season for years and always put away a good stock of it. The real trick is not in the ingredients but in the fact that the steaming basket gently steams the cherries while the thickened liquid cooks below. That way the fruit stays whole and does not turn to a puree. It goes beautifully with our Thermomix® rice pudding.

Controlling sweetness: sweet cherries, sour cherries or jarred cherries all need different amounts of sugar

With 700 g of cherries, the amount of sugar controls both sweetness and depth. For sweet cherries 50 to 60 g is enough; they are naturally fruity and sweet. Sour cherries such as Morello cherries contain more acidity and need 70 to 80 g, otherwise the flavour tips into sharpness. Jarred cherries already come in a sweetened syrup, so we halve the sugar to around 30 g and taste at the end. The 60 g in the basic recipe is our middle ground for mixed or ripe sweet cherries.

One practical advantage of the Thermomix® here is the order of steps: because we mix on speed 2 in reverse direction at the end anyway and taste as we go, it is easy to stir in extra sugar at that point without the cherries breaking apart. Better to start low and sweeten afterwards than to add too much at the beginning.

Stoning 700 g of cherries: with a cherry stoner, a straw, or in the mixing bowl

Stoning the cherries is the only step that really takes time. A classic cherry stoner gets through 700 g in around ten minutes and presses the stones out cleanly without crushing the fruit. Without a tool, place the cherry on a bottle neck and push a sturdy straw straight through the centre so the stone falls out the bottom. Both methods keep the fruit whole, which matters for a compote with whole cherries.

If you are in a hurry and prefer a thicker, smoother compote, place the washed cherries with a little lemon juice in the mixing bowl and blitz for 3 seconds in reverse direction at speed 4, then sieve out the loose stones. The cherries will be slightly crushed and work better as a sauce for ice cream or pancakes than as a whole-fruit compote. Cooking with the stones in gives a more intense flavour with a slight marzipan note, but you have to be careful when eating.

Why cornflour must be stirred in cold

The 20 g of cornflour thickens the liquid to a smooth, glossy consistency. In the basic recipe we add it together with the water, sugar, vanilla and cinnamon cold into the mixing bowl and mix everything for 3 seconds at speed 8 before heating starts. That is the key point: cornflour clumps immediately when it hits hot liquid. If you add the cornflour to a pot that is already boiling, mix it beforehand with two tablespoons of cold water or cherry juice until smooth.

The quantity controls the consistency: 20 g gives a glossy, pourable compote; 30 g makes it almost pudding-like and suits a cake filling. For a vegan and crystal-clear result, replace the cornflour with 1 tsp of agar-agar, which sets firmer once boiled. Half a scraped vanilla pod or a pinch of cinnamon lifts the flavour well above the plain base recipes on the large Thermomix® platforms, which often rely on cherry juice and cornflour alone.

Where cherry compote goes wrong and how we fix it

The compote stays too runny

Fresh cherries release juice as they cook, which thins the liquid more than expected. Our fix: Judge only after mixing and leave to stand for 5 minutes. The cornflour continues to set as it cools. If it is still too thin, stir in an additional half portion of cornflour mixed cold with water and cook again for 2 min / 100°C / speed 2.

The compote turns lumpy

Lumps appear almost every time cornflour is added to hot liquid. Our fix: In the Thermomix® process, always mix all dry and cold ingredients together before heating begins. If lumps do appear, blitz briefly at speed 6 and they will disappear.

The cherries fall apart into a puree

Mixing for too long or at too high a speed destroys the fruit. Our fix: Add the cherries only at the very end and mix for just 20 seconds in reverse direction at speed 2. Reverse direction pushes the fruit rather than pulling it into the blades. If you use the steaming basket, the cherries are steamed separately and only briefly folded in at the end.

Four variations we make regularly

Mulled cherry for the festive season: Replace 50 g of the water with red wine and add 1 star anise and a whole cinnamon stick to cook, then remove both at the end. Lovely warm over vanilla ice cream.

Black Forest style with alcohol: After mixing, stir in 30 g of kirsch or amaretto. This is the grown-up version and works well as a cake filling. Leave it out for children.

Chocolate cherry: Stir in 50 g of dark chocolate after cooking until melted. Gives a dark, rich compote for pancakes and pudding.

Sour cherry with soured cream: Cook with 80 g of sugar and serve the finished compote with a dollop of soured cream. The acidity of the Morello cherries and the cool soured cream make a simple dessert.

What we love to serve cherry compote with

Our absolute classic is cherry compote with warm Thermomix® rice pudding, ideally both fresh and still just warm. It works just as well with our Thermomix® semolina pudding or spooned over a scoop of vanilla ice cream. As a Black Forest-style cake filling we bind it a little firmer with 30 g of cornflour. It also works beautifully stirred into yoghurt, quark or over cheesecake.

If you are looking for more fruit from the mixing bowl: our Thermomix® rhubarb compote is the early-summer alternative, and for sauce lovers there are our hot cherries with the Thermomix® as a warming topping over ice cream.

How long cherry compote keeps and how to preserve it properly

Stored in a sealed jar in the fridge, the compote keeps for 5 to 7 days. Frozen in small portions, for example in ice cube trays, it keeps for around 12 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge for best results.

For a proper supply beyond the summer, fill the hot compote to the brim into jars rinsed with boiling water and seal immediately. For storage longer than a few weeks, sterilise the sealed jars in a pot or oven at around 90°C for at least 30 minutes. Stored in a cool, dark place, the cherries will keep for 6 to 9 months. The peak season for sweet cherries is June and July, with Morello cherries following in July and August. That is the best time to build up a stock.

Goes well with: vanilla ice cream and steamed dumplings.

We have a favourite combination for you. Serve this cherry compote, ideally still warm, alongside Thermomix® rice pudding or over a scoop of vanilla ice cream.