Healthy Cherry Juice

Healthy cherry juice (compote). Compote, also known as Kompot* in my language, is the drink that will forever change the way you think about fruit juice. This version uses fresh cherries, plums, and golden raisins. The combo of deep red cherries and plums produces the most beautiful red-hued drink, which tastes like heaven on a hot summer day. 

This incredible beverage can be produced using two different methods: boiling, straining, and chilling, or marinating fresh fruit in sugar water. Whichever method you choose, this is a delicious way to savor summer fruits and create a refreshing drink that everyone will love. 

The sweetness and potency of the fruitiness is completely up to you: you can always add less or more sugar or fruit, or you can reduce the concentration by cutting the kompot with extra water when serving.

I grew up enjoying cold glasses of kompot, which my family made from the many fruit trees on our property. Kompot is a staple in Eastern Europe: enjoyed chilled from the refrigerator on warm days or served hot for a winter pick-me-up. When canned and stored properly, kompot can last on pantry shelves well into winter, giving you a taste of summer on a dreary cold day.

Don’t throw out the leftover, mushy fruit from your kompot! After straining the leftover fruit, blend it into a thick fruit puree and use in pancakes, smoothies, spread on toast, and more.

Cherry Juice

The Modern NonnaThe Modern Nonna
This version uses fresh cherries, plums, and golden raisins. The combo of deep red cherries and plums produces the most beautiful red-hued drink, which tastes like heaven on a hot summer day. 
No ratings yet
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Servings 3 litres

Ingredients

  • 3.5 litres (1 gallon) filtered water
  • 8 cups fresh cherries (pitted is optional)
  • 6 red plums, pits removed
  • 1 cup golden raisins
  • 1 apple, cored and halved

Instructions
 

  • Add 3.5 litres (1 gallon) of filtered water to a large pot.
  • Add the fruit to the pot and bring to a boil. Semi-cover the pot with a lid and reduce the heat to medium-low. Let boil for 60 minutes.
  • After one hour, remove the fruit with a sieve or kitchen spider. Set the fruit aside.
  • NOTE: if the cherries are pitted, you can process the fruits with a touch of sweetener for a delicious fruit puree or compost it as usual. You can also enjoy the stewed fruit on toast with mascarpone or creamy cheese and a drizzle of honey on top.
  • I like to cool the liquid to room temperature, strain it into a bowl or mason jars, and chill in the fridge.
  • Serve over ice and enjoy!

Notes

Remove the pitted fruit from the pot with a sieve and process it with sweetener of choice to make the most beautiful fruit purée. You can use the fruit purée in baking, on top of pancakes, chia pudding, and so much more. 
Feel free to add any fruit you like to the pot of water. You can use cherries, plums, apples, pears, peaches, or a combination of fruits. Double or triple the quantity of fruit for a more potent juice
Strain the juice and chill it in the fridge and pour over ice. You can serve it in a pitcher on a hot summer day. 
Canning Kompot (Compote): we add chopped up fruit to the bottom of a mason jar with a bit of sugar and cover with water. We add a lid and boil the jars. This canning method ensures we have Kompot all winter long, so if you feel confident in your canning skills, you can give this a try too. 
Tried this recipe?Mention @themodernnonna or tag #themodernnonna!
If you love one of my recipes, please leave me a review.
Thank you for bringing me into your kitchen <3

6 Responses

  1. I will try this today and was wondering whether I could use the (pitted) fruit after boiling also for the fruit leather? I am happy to receive your advice :-).

  2. What a cool recipe! I stopped buying fruit juices for our house so this was something I had to try! I don’t think I used enough fruit this time, I was just using up what I had left, but it still has a nice refreshing taste!
    After straining the fruit, should you squeeze/mash it to get more juice out of it?
    Could I add frozen fruit as well?
    Love your recipes, videos, and notes!

    1. Hi Nicole, so happy you enjoyed this homemade juice! Yes, you can definitely smash the strained juice to extract the last bits of liquid, and yes, you could use frozen fruit.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

On Key

Recent Posts

Plate of pasta with bacon on top

Carbonara

Carbonara is a classic Italian pasta dish that is loved in every Italian household. With its origins shrouded in history, this recipe offers a taste

Read More »
picture of ramen soup

Ramen Noodle Soup

This comforting Ramen noodle soup is perfect for those chilly autumn days or when you’re feeling under the weather. This heartwarming bowl of goodness is

Read More »
Share to...