The story behind the recipe
Kompot z suszu is a traditional drink served during the Christmas Eve dinner. The Provincial Inspectorate of Agricultural and Food Quality in Olsztyn wrote in December 2024: "Kompot z suszu is a compote traditionally served during the Christmas Eve dinner." Polish Wikipedia states that it was initially consumed in winter during lunch, but today it is served at the Christmas Eve dinner. Fruits were dried in autumn to last through the winter. In the entry about dried fruits from Wandalin on the List of Traditional Products, we read that in many homes in the Lublin region, kompot z suszu is still consumed on Christmas Eve, and that "plum drives away evil spirits, apples ensure love, health, and peace, and pear symbolizes longevity."
In the early 20th century, kompot z suszu was sometimes a sweet dessert. Marta Norkowska in her book "Najnowsza kuchnia wytworna i gospodarska" from 1903 suggested using half a pound of sugar for a pound of dried fruits, along with cinnamon and lemon peel, and advised: "apples should be removed earlier, as they soften faster than pears." Today's recipes often do without sugar or sweeten to taste.
There are two such compotes on the List of Traditional Products. The "Górecki kompot z suszu" from Górek in Podkarpacie, registered in 2006, was made with sweet dried pears, plums, and apples. According to the entry, "it was very sweet and did not require added sugar" and was served after the Christmas Eve dinner. The Małopolska "polywka," registered in 2014, is made from plums, pears, and apples dried in wood-fired smokehouses and is reheated over three days. The compote itself does not have EU protection, but smoked plums do: the suska sechlońska from Małopolska has been a Protected Geographical Indication since 2010, just like the szydłowska plum from the Szydłów commune in Świętokrzyskie, described in the EU document as "plums with or without pits subjected to drying and smoking processes." In 2024, the smoked sechlońskie apple joined them.
Ingredients
Kompot (około 1 l mocnego kompotu)
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100 g dried plums (50 g smoked (for example, suska sechlońska or szydłowska plum) and 50 g regular pitted; only smoked will give a stronger, smoky flavor)
Abroad: regular unsweetened dried plums: prunes or dried plums; Germany: Trockenpflaumen -
70 g dried apple slices
Abroad: dried apple rings or dried apple slices -
70 g dried pears (some may be smoked, for example, 1 smoked pear)
Abroad: dried pears; Austria and Germany: Kletzen - 2 l cold water (for soaking and cooking)
- 4 pcs cloves
- 0.5 pc small cinnamon stick
Do smaku (niekoniecznie)
- 0.5 pc orange (juice; or 1 strip of orange peel)
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) lemon juice
- sugar or mild honey (0–2 tablespoons, to taste; usually not needed)
Method, step by step
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Weigh the plums: half smoked and half regular pitted dried plums. Only smoked will give a stronger, smoky flavor.
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Add the dried apples and pears. If you have a smoked pear, you can replace some of the regular pears with it. All smoked fruits together should not make up more than about one-third of the dried fruits, as the compote may turn out too smoky or bitter.
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Check the dried fruits and see on the label if it contains E220. Rinse the fruits twice in cold water.
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Place the fruits in a large pot, as they swell a lot. Cover them with 2 liters of cold water, cover, and let sit for about 12 hours or overnight. Do not discard the soaking water, as you will cook the compote in it.
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Add the cloves and the cinnamon stick. Bring the compote to a boil covered, then simmer on low heat with the lid slightly ajar for about 30 minutes. The fruits should soften but not fall apart.
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If you wish, pour in the orange and lemon juice or add a strip of orange peel and cook for another 10 minutes.
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Taste the compote before sweetening it: the dried fruits are sweet on their own. If needed, add sugar or mild honey one spoon at a time.
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Remove the pot from the heat and let the compote sit for 2–3 hours to meld the flavors.
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Strain the compote into a pitcher or transfer some of the fruits to it, serving the rest on a plate. If it’s too strong, dilute it with water to taste. Serve hot, warm, or chilled.
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