clove-scented windfall pear and blackberry compote

pear and blackberry compote

I like to plan in the kitchen and prepare some things in advance - say cooking up batches of sauces to freeze or buying a bigger chicken for Sunday roast, so that I can get several meals out of one dish. I am currently working my way through a small mountain of pear windfalls and decided to make this simple compote with blackberries. This is one for the freezer and I have plans for it - it will probably get puréed up to accompany some roast pork, it may well go into a cake or accompany some vanilla ice cream and it will definitely be crumble material! 

Skill level: Easy

ingredients:
about 700g pears, peeled, cored and chopped
water
caster sugar, to taste (I use homemade vanilla sugar)
4 x cloves
150g fresh (or frozen) blackberries

directions:

1. Make the compote by first peeling, coring and chopping up the pears. Simmer the pears in a little water with the cloves and sugar to taste (about 3-4 tablespoons) for 10 to 15 minutes, until soft. If the pears have given off a lot of liquid you may need cook for a few minutes further to remove some of the liquid. Stir frequently so the pears don't catch on the bottom of the pan.
2. Remove the cloves and add the blackberries. Warm through until the blackberries have started to soften. Taste for sweetness.
3. You can either leave the fruit as is, or whizz up with a stick blender until smooth.