Sour Cherry Compote
Sour cherries in a lightly spiced syrup, served cold with the fruit.
The Turkish pantry
Sour cherries (frozen)
Unsweetened pitted sour cherries bring tart fruit and color to compote. Keep the fruit frozen until needed and account for its juice in the recipe.
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Frozen, pitted, unsweetened sour cherries. Sweet cherries, sweetened pie filling and cherries packed in syrup have different acidity or added sugar.
Types & forms
Unsweetened frozen fruit
Check the ingredient list for fruit without added sugar and confirm that the stones have been removed.
Syrup-packed cherries or pie filling
These bring added sugar and sometimes thickeners; they are not the same ingredient.
What to look for when buying
- Choose a sealed frozen pack marked sour cherries and pitted. Check that it is unsweetened rather than assuming all frozen fruit is plain.
- Keep the pack frozen on the journey home. Follow any cooking instructions; frozen does not automatically mean ready to eat.
Prepare & cook
- Check for stray stones as the fruit loosens. Add frozen or thawed fruit as the recipe specifies; if thawing first, do so in the refrigerator.
- Use the released juice when the compote recipe calls for the whole fruit quantity. Taste the finished drink before changing its sugar; do not assume sweet cherries give the same tartness.
Store it well
- Keep at 0°F or below in a tightly closed freezer pack. Return unused frozen fruit promptly to the freezer.
- Refrigerate thawed fruit and prepared compote in clean, covered containers. Follow the pack’s after-thawing directions and do not store a cooked drink at room temperature overnight.
Substitutions depend on the dish
Fresh pitted sour cherries
May work when the recipe allows; remove stalks and stones, and expect a different amount of released juice.
Sweet cherries
Less tart; substituting them changes the balance rather than simply the color.
Nutrition
Unsweetened frozen pitted sour cherries [1]
| Nutrient | Amount |
|---|---|
| Energy | 46 kcal |
| Protein | 0.92 g |
| Total fat | 0.44 g |
| Saturated fat | 0.1 g |
| Carbohydrate | 11 g |
| Dietary fiber | 1.6 g |
| Total sugars | 9.02 g |
| Sodium | 1 mg |
| Cholesterol | 0 mg |
| Calcium | 13 mg |
| Iron | 0.53 mg |
| Potassium | 124 mg |
| Vitamin D | 0 µg |
USDA reference per 100 g of edible unsweetened frozen sour cherries, excluding stones. Not sweetened fruit, sweet cherries or prepared compote. Values are rounded for readability; “not reported” does not mean zero. A “<” value is below the source’s measurement limit.
Nutrition values come from the reference source named above. They are published reference values, not our own measurements. Actual products and cooking methods may change the values.
At the Turkish table
Vişne Kompostosu uses sour cherries for a fruit-forward drink. The fruit and its juice belong in the preparation; the recipe controls dilution and sweetness.
Cook with Sour cherries (frozen)