Over medium-high heat, bring the fruit mixture to a boil in a saucepan and stir. Let it boil until the sugar has dissolved (about 5 minutes).

Then turn the heat to your lowest stovetop setting and allow the berries to simmer gently for 15 to 20 minutes, until the fruit has softened a lot and the mixture has reduced in volume by about half. Be sure to stir it often as it simmers.

It's important to reach the right thickness. Often you achieve this by reducing it until you reach the desired thickness, but tapioca starch is another good method. The "back of the spoon" test or the "drag a line through it with a spatula and see how long it takes to come back" test are useful here.

Near the end, you can add any extra acids like lemon juice or lemon zest. Then adjust the sugar to taste — sugar will tend to solve problems of "too much acidity". It will thicken more as it cools.

compote