🇺🇦 Ukrainian Cuisine

Узвар

Dried Fruit Compote

Prep Time 45 min

Servings 8

Difficulty Easy

Calories 92 kcal

A fragrant, gently sweet compote of dried apples, pears, prunes, and cherries — the traditional Christmas Eve beverage of Ukraine.

Ingredients

100g dried apples
100g dried pears
100g prunes
50g dried cherries
3 tbsp honey
8 cups water
1 cinnamon stick
3 cloves

Instructions

1 Rinse all dried fruits thoroughly under cold water.
2 Bring 8 cups of water to a boil in a large pot.
3 Add dried apples and pears first, simmer 15 minutes.
4 Add prunes, cherries, cinnamon stick, and cloves. Simmer 10 more minutes.
5 Remove from heat, stir in honey, and let cool to room temperature.
6 Serve chilled or at room temperature with the fruit in the glass.

Did You Know?

Uzvar is always paired with kutia on Christmas Eve — the two together symbolize the cycle of life, death, and rebirth.