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Apricot Compote

Erken's apricot compote from 1914: dried apricots are soaked overnight in cold water with sugar, cooked until tender, the liquid reduced to a syrup and poured over the fruit. Served cold with stiffly whipped cream.

Source: Henriette Schønberg Erken, Stor kokebok, 1914-utg. s. 457 (falt i det fri)

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About the dish

Apricot compote was among the simple, standard desserts in Erken's large dessert chapter. Dried apricots were one of the imported goods Norwegian households could keep in stock year-round, and the compote was therefore an "everyday dessert for special occasions" that could be set out with whipped cream.

How to make it

  1. 1

    Rinse and soak

    Rinse the apricots well in lukewarm water. Soak them overnight in the cold water together with the sugar.

  2. 2

    Cook the fruit tender

    Set the apricots with the soaking water over the heat and cook them gently until they are tender.

  3. 3

    Take out the fruit

    Lift the apricots out with a slotted spoon and place them in a bowl.

  4. 4

    Reduce the syrup

    Reduce the liquid to a slightly thicker syrup. Add more sugar if you want it sweeter.

  5. 5

    Serve

    Pour the syrup over the fruit and let the compote go cold. Serve with stiffly whipped cream. If you use fresh or canned fruit, the apricots should be peeled; preserved apricots are given a boil before use.

Changes from the original

Deciliters and grams are kept in modern form (1 1/2 del. = 1.5 dl). The method is divided into numbered steps, and "hulslev" is modernized to slotted spoon. The amount of extra sugar for reducing the syrup is optional, as in the original.

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Time machine – what changed?

Pick two editions and see what Henriette Schønberg Erken added, removed or changed between them.

Modernised → 1949 (proofread, p. 519)~86% of the text changedremovedadded
300 g tørkede aprikoser. gr. tørrede aprikoser 100 g gr. sukker (pluss mer etter smak til laken). 1,5 dl vann (kaldt). 2 dl kremfløte (til servering, stivpisket). Skyll aprikosene 4 del. vann. Aprikosene skylles godt i lunkent vann. Legg dem i bløt over vann og legges natten over ibløt i det kalde vannet sammen med sukkeret.. Sett aprikosene med bløtvannet over varmen kolde vann og kok dem forsiktig sukkeret. Aprikosene settes da over varmen, koker til de er møre.. Løft aprikosene opp møre, legges op med hullsleiv hulslev, og legg dem i en skål.. Kok kraften laken koker inn til en litt tykkere sirup. Tilsett mer sukker med mere sukker, om du ønsker man vil ha den søtere.. Hell laken søtere. Helles over frukten og la kompotten bli kald. Server frukten. Serveres kold med stivpisket stivvispet fløte. Bruker du fersk eller hermetisk frukt, skal aprikosene skrelles; syltede aprikoser gis et oppkok før bruk.

Note on Modernised

Desiliter og gram er beholdt i moderne form (1 1/2 del. = 1,5 dl). Fremgangsmåten er delt i nummererte trinn, og «hulslev» er modernisert til hullsleiv. Mengden ekstra sukker til innkoking av laken er valgfri, som i originalen.

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Frequently asked questions

Why is the total time so long?
Because the dried apricots have to soak overnight in the cold water with the sugar. The cooking itself only takes as long as the fruit needs to become tender.
How much do I need for four servings?
300 g dried apricots, 100 g sugar and 1 1/2 dl water.
How is the syrup made?
When the apricots are tender, they are lifted out with a slotted spoon, and the liquid is reduced. If you want it sweeter, you add more sugar. The syrup is then poured over the fruit.
How is the compote served?
Cold, with stiffly whipped cream. The recipe is from Henriette Schønberg Erken's "Stor kokebok" (1914), p. 457.

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