Homemade Juice (Kompot)

Name: Homemade Juice (Kompot)
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 45 min
Ingredients: 15 apricots (or 6 cups of pitted); 4 cups of cherries; 2 cups of blueberries; 1 gal of water; 3/4 cup of sugar or to taste

5 from 16 votes
89 comments

Kompot is a fruit juice made by nearly every Russian and Ukrainian family. There are a gazillion ways to make it, a must try.

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Kompot is a fruit juice made by nearly every Russian and Ukrainian family. There are a gazillion ways to make it. It all depends on the fruit you have on hand. Your kompot will surely taste different than mine (I am very curious how you make your favorite homemade juice).

Don’t be afraid to experiment with various berries and fruit. It can be made with fresh or even dry fruit (in winter). Once our plums are ripe, we’ll be making plumb kompot by the gallon. If you want to do something with the fruit after you’ve strained off most of the juice, just turn it into Kissel; a classic fruit soup we Slavic people love. See instructions below.

Ingredients for Kompot :

(again, fruit can vary tremendously and it will still be good)
15 apricots (or 6 cups of pitted)
4 cups of cherries
2 cups of blueberries
1 gal of water
3/4 cup of sugar or to taste

Additional Ingredients for Kissel:

(if you decide to make it with the leftover fruit)
3 Tbsp potato starch (corn starch does not work)
1/4 cup cold water

How to make homemade fruit juice (kompot):

1. Bring 1 gal of water to a boil.

A pot filled with water

2. Wash all the fruit. Cut apricots in half and remove the pits. Pit the cherries. If you are a cherry lover and do not have a pitter, you should consider investing in one. It would be torture otherwise.

The OXO Good Grips Cherry Pitter is great for smaller jobs. I have it and it has a fabulous little splash guard too. If you have cherry trees in your yard, I’d recommend the Norpro Deluxe Cherry Stoner, a heavy duty one that my Mom has (and I borrow) for quick pitting.

Three photos of bowls with halved apricots, cherries and blueberries

3. When the water starts to boil, carefully add fruit and bring water back to a boil. Switch heat to medium and let the mixture boil for 30 min uncovered.

A pot of fruits and water

4. When time is up, remove from heat and stir in 3/4 cup of sugar or to taste.

Sugar being added into a pot with fruits

5. Let kompot cool completely, strain off the juice and refrigerate. Serve chilled. Who would have thought it was THAT easy?!

Homemade kompot in a glass garnished with a strawberry and slice of lemon

On Making Kissel:

If you want to do something with that leftover fruit, leave some of the juice in the pot with the fruit and add 2 cups water. In a small bowl, Mix 3 Tbsp potato starch with 1/4 cup cold water. Bring the fruit to a light boil and add the potato starch mix. You can add more potato starch and water depending on how thick you like your fruit soup. Serve Kissel warm or cold.

Leftover fruits from homemade kompot, juice, in a plate

Homemade Juice (Kompot)

5 from 16 votes

Author: Natasha of NatashasKitchen.com

Kompot is a fruit juice made by nearly every Russian and Ukrainian family. There are a gazillion ways to make it, a must try.

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Prep Time: 15

Cook Time: 30

Total Time: 45

Ingredients

Servings: cups

Instructions

Bring 1 gal of water to a boil.
Wash all the fruit. Cut apricots in half and remove the pits. Pit the cherries.
When the water starts to boil, carefully add fruit and bring water back to a boil.
Switch heat to medium and let the mixture boil for 30 min uncovered.
When time is up, remove from heat and stir in 3/4 cup of sugar or to taste.
Let kompot cool completely, strain off the juice and refrigerate. Serve chilled.

Course: Beverage

Cuisine: Russian, Ukrainian

Keyword: Homemade Juice, Kompot

Skill Level: Easy

Cost to Make: $10-$12

Natasha Kravchuk

Welcome to my kitchen! I am Natasha, the blogger behind Natasha's Kitchen (since 2009). My husband and I run this blog together and share only our best, family approved and tested recipes with YOU. Thanks for stopping by! We are so happy you're here.