Apple peel compote with cinnamon
Ingredients
Method
- Wash the apples thoroughly under running water, rubbing them, then dry them. Peel the ones for your main recipe and keep the peel.
- Cut the 2 whole apples into pieces with their skin on. Carefully remove the core and all the pips.
- Put the peel and apple pieces in a saucepan with the water, lemon juice, sugar, cinnamon and turmeric.
- Cover and cook over a low heat for 20 minutes, stirring from time to time, until the peel is very tender. Add a little water if the mixture starts to catch.
- Blend for at least 2 minutes, until the compote is very smooth. For an even finer texture, pass it through a food mill or a sieve.
- Taste, adjust the sugar or cinnamon, then leave to cool before spooning into jars.
Notes
You have just peeled some apples for a tart or a crumble, and you are about to throw away a whole bowlful of peel? Keep it! With a little water, one or two whole apples and a pinch of cinnamon, it turns into a mellow, fragrant apple peel compote with a pretty pink colour. It is one of the simplest zero-waste recipes there is: 10 minutes of preparation, 20 minutes of cooking, and almost nothing ends up in the bin.
Why cook with apple peel?
The skin is often the first part of the apple we throw away. Yet it is one of the most interesting parts of the fruit. It holds a good share of its fibre and polyphenols, the antioxidant compounds found in colourful fruit and vegetables. It also contains pectin, a natural fibre that thickens mixtures as they cook: this is what gives the compote its smooth, velvety texture.
In terms of flavour, the peel is tarter and more fragrant than the flesh. Cooked gently with a little sugar and cinnamon, it makes a compote with a very pronounced apple flavour, a bit like a baked apple.
Finally, it is a simple way to cut down on food waste. For every kilo of peeled apples, we usually throw away around a hundred grams of peel. Turning it into compote means making the most of the whole fruit, just like our carrot top pesto or our carrot top quiche.
Which apples to choose?
Organic or unsprayed apples
This is the most important point in this recipe. Apples are among the fruits that receive the most treatments in the orchard, and any residues are found mainly on the skin. For a peel compote, choose organic apples, or apples from your own garden or from a grower who doesn’t spray them.
In any case, wash the apples thoroughly before peeling them: rinse them under running water while rubbing them with your hands or a soft brush, then dry them with a clean tea towel.
Fragrant varieties
Almost any variety works. Red-skinned apples, such as Gala, Pink Lady or red Belle de Boskoop, give a pretty pink compote. Green apples, such as Granny Smith, bring more acidity and a paler colour. Feel free to mix peel from several varieties: the compote will be all the more fragrant.
The secret of a smooth apple peel compote
Peel on its own makes a rather thin, fibrous compote. Our trick: add one or two whole apples, cut into pieces with their skin on. Their flesh adds softness and body, and the compote becomes truly velvety.
Remove the pips
If you add whole apples, carefully remove the core and pips. Apple pips contain amygdalin, a substance that can release cyanide when crushed. A few pips swallowed by accident are not a problem, but it is better not to blend them into a compote.
Blend for a long time
The skin is firmer than the flesh. For a perfectly smooth texture, blend the compote for at least 2 minutes in a jug blender, or a little longer with a stick blender. For an even finer result, then pass it through a food mill on the fine disc, or press it through a sieve with the back of a spoon.
Just enough water
Apples release their juice as they cook. Start with a small glass of water, and add more a tablespoon at a time if the mixture starts to catch. A compote that is too runny can always be reduced for a few minutes over a low heat, uncovered.
Choosing your cinnamon
Cinnamon is the spice that goes best with apple. There are two main types. Ceylon cinnamon, milder and more delicate, comes mainly from Sri Lanka. Cassia cinnamon, the most common in shops, has a stronger, more pungent flavour.
Cassia is rich in coumarin, a substance best not overdone if you eat it every day. In a compote, one teaspoon for the whole recipe is no problem at all. If you eat it very often, choose Ceylon cinnamon.
You can also cook a cinnamon stick with the peel and remove it before blending: the flavour will be more subtle.
Our golden touch
At Curcuma.top (curcuma is French for turmeric), we like to slip a pinch of turmeric in where you least expect it. In this compote, a tiny pinch is enough: it warms the colour and goes very well with cinnamon, without its flavour really being noticeable. It is optional, but do try it at least once. To discover the golden spice, read our article on the health benefits of turmeric.
How to enjoy apple peel compote
- On its own, warm or well chilled, as a dessert or an afternoon snack.
- With plain yoghurt or fromage frais, for an indulgent breakfast.
- On porridge, with a few walnuts.
- On crêpes, waffles or pancakes, instead of jam.
- In a cake: it can replace some of the butter or oil in a loaf cake or muffins.
- With pork, chicken or black pudding, in a less sweet version, the way apple compote is served in northern France.
Variations
Apple, pear and cinnamon compote
Add the peel and pieces of one or two very ripe pears. The compote will be sweeter and softer. And if you only have pears, try our pear peel and vanilla compote.
No added sugar compote
Leave out the sugar and add an extra whole apple, nice and ripe. Sweet apples such as Gala or Golden Delicious are often enough to make a compote sweet enough.
Vanilla and ginger compote
Replace half the cinnamon with half a split vanilla pod and a thin slice of fresh ginger, both removed before blending.
With the cores
The cores, with the pips and tough parts removed, can be cooked with the peel. They are rich in pectin and make the compote even smoother. Just remember to blend well, then pass the compote through a food mill.
Storage
The compote keeps for 4 to 5 days in the fridge, in a clean, tightly sealed jar. It also freezes very well, for around 3 months, in small portions or in an ice cube tray. You can even freeze raw peel in a freezer bag each time you peel apples, and make the compote once you have enough.
A recipe for all year round
In France, apples are harvested from late summer into autumn, and they keep all winter. So they are available almost all year. Every apple tart, crumble or classic apple compote can give you a little bonus batch of peel compote. A simple, thrifty and delicious habit.
Frequently asked questions
Can you make compote with apple peel only?
Yes, but the texture will be thinner and more fibrous. Add at least one whole apple for a truly velvety compote, and blend for a long time.
Do you need to peel organic apples?
No, the skin of organic apples is perfectly good to eat. But if you are peeling them for a recipe, keep the peel for this compote.
My compote is too tart, what can I do?
Add a teaspoon of sugar, honey or maple syrup, or a very ripe apple, cooked and blended with the compote.
