Kompot z Suszu

The story

Dried fruit compote — most often prunes, dried apples, and dried pears simmered with a cinnamon stick and lemon peel — is the only drink traditionally served with the twelve dishes of Wigilia supper, in place of wine or other alcohol, which are left for later in the evening or the next day. Its simplicity — just fruit, water, and a little sugar, with no alcohol — suits the fasting character of the whole meal perfectly. The dried fruit was traditionally prepared at home over the summer and fall, by drying surplus harvest in ovens or in the sun, which made kompot a practical way to keep the taste of summer fruit until the coldest part of the year. It is served warm or cold, depending on region and family habit, and many Polish families in America make it in big batches precisely because it is one of the few parts of Wigilia that is easy to prepare ahead and reheat with no loss of quality.