The blood orange compote or Sicilian red oranges.
Traditional and Bimby recipe, also in a dietary version.
Do you know why Sicilian red oranges or blood oranges take on the red pigmentation?
The cause is the presence of anthocyanins, and they develop red pigments only when grown in a place with a pronounced temperature range between day and night, especially during the ripening period. Like the slopes of Etna.
The blood orange compote is a great food that will accompany us in all breakfasts, snacks, and desserts like croissants and pies.
Ideal for everyone’s diet, especially for children and the elderly with low immune defenses.
Red oranges or blood oranges contain vitamin K, which, together with low sodium content, helps to fight high blood pressure, and citric acid helps to prevent kidney stones. Finally, fiber promotes intestinal transit and helps control the absorption of sugars and cholesterol.
In this recipe, you will find instructions on how to sweeten the blood orange compote or Sicilian red oranges.
That is, you can prepare it either with sugar or with various sweeteners, to please everyone with dietary needs like diabetics.
Moreover, given that blood oranges are quite sweet on their own, even those who want to use sugar won’t need large amounts.
Since they have so much juice, we will use 3:1 pectin, which is a natural gelling agent found in apples. If you don’t want to use it, you can safely replace it with 2 Renetta apples.
The oranges must be strictly organic.
This way, we will load up on vitamin C, which will help us fight winter ailments, and it’s also a different way to have oranges on hand even when they’re out of season.
Easy to make, and economical, we will make the most of the fruit, and you will find instructions for making this delicacy both with sugar and with sweetener.
We will soak the oranges for 24 hours in ample water, changing it multiple times, and then proceed to the actual preparation.
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- Cost: Very Economical
- Rest time: 1 Day
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 4 jars of about 10 oz
- Cooking methods: Boiling
- Cuisine: Regional Italian
- Region: Sicily
- Seasonality: Autumn, Winter, and Spring
- Energy 15.81 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 13.56 (g) of which sugars 3.53 (g)
- Proteins 0.23 (g)
- Fat 0.03 (g) of which saturated 0.00 (g)of which unsaturated 0.00 (g)
- Fibers 0.56 (g)
- Sodium 0.00 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 1 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients
Let’s go shopping
- 2.2 lbs Blood oranges, fresh (organic)
- 10.58 oz Erythritol (or 10.58 oz of sugar or xylitol or 3.53 oz of stevia)
- 1 packet Pectin (3:1)
a look at health
Tools
What we need to make
- 1 Pot or the Bimby
- 1 Immersion Blender
- 4 Jars for preserves of 10 oz
- 1 Bowl
- 1 Knife
Steps
Preliminaries for both cooking versions
To make the blood orange compote, the first thing to do is sterilize the jars.
Arrange the jars and lids in a large pot, covering them completely with water. Bring to a boil over medium heat and let boil for 30 minutes.
At the end, turn off the heat and keep them warm by closing the pot with the lid.
Once they have cooled, carefully remove the jars and lids with the help of tongs and dry them completely with a clean cotton cloth.
Wash the oranges well, and with the tip of a skewer, poke all over the surface of the fruit’s peel; this will allow the alcohol and essential oils it contains to escape, removing the bitterness.
After puncturing all the oranges, transfer them to a large pot full of water, and leave them to soak for 24 hours, changing the water every 8 hours.
After the time has passed, cut the oranges in half, remove the white stem inside and the seeds, then cut each segment into smaller pieces.
Transfer the chopped oranges to a pot, add the packet of 3:1 pectin (or peeled apples), plus the sweetener or sugar according to your preferences,
and use an immersion blender to blend the mixture, then place it on low heat.
Stir often and from the moment it boils, cook for about 25 minutes.
here it is ready, our blood orange composition.
a Sicilian specialty.
Place the oranges in the bowl with 3:1 pectin or peeled apple pieces, the sweetener or sugar, close with the measuring cup, and blend turbo 2 sec for 2 times; if you prefer a creamier compote, you can blend more.
Place the basket on the lid and cook for 25 min at 212°F counter-clockwise speed 1.
Then another 5 min at Varoma temperature, place the basket on the lid speed 1
This compote will not appear very thick as usual because the oranges contain a lot of water, but once cooled, you will see that the consistency will be optimal.
When the compote is cooked, transfer it into the previously sterilized jars, close the lids, and invert them to create a vacuum.
From Sicily, here is the blood orange compote.
The blood orange compote
Storage:
Label the jars with the name and date of preparation before storing them in the pantry.
The jam can be stored for several months in a light-protected, cool, dry place.
Warnings:
before using the jam, check that the lid still has the center part pushed down; otherwise, it is advised not to consume the preparation;
Once opened, consume the contents within 15-20 days and store it closed in the refrigerator.
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
The blood orange compote
Can I flavor the compote?
Yes, to give the compote a different flavor, you can add a pinch of cinnamon or clove powder to the fruit; I added some orange blossom flowers.
