The past year or so especially, I've been on a bit of a jam/jelly/preserve kick. Therefore, I've been more diligent about checking for new ones at my local grocery store. A few months ago I was rewarded with a selection that looked interesting--a mixed berry jalapeno one from Janet's. Readers with exceptional memories may recall that I covered a spicy jam long ago, back on May 22nd, 2015. So, clearly I decided to revisit this culinary concept, and bought and ate this product.
However, there's more to this. As you can read from the title, the Janet's selection I'll discuss today is something a little different from a jam, or jelly, or preserve. I'm guessing a lot of people haven't ever heard of a compote--I definitely hadn't. For starters, the name itself is reportedly from the Latin word "compositus," which means either "mixture," or "match." The food itself is believed to have originated in medieval Europe. Folks took various fruits, and cooked them in water, along with sugar, spices, and sometimes syrup. Vanilla, cloves, almonds, coconut, cinnamon, orange peel, lemon, raisins, and pieces of other fruits were, and are, common additives. Sometimes wine, brandy, or rum were also added, to give the concoction an adult charge. The result can be served either warm or cold, and was often enjoyed as a dessert. Occasionally whipped cream, cinnamon, and even more sugar was included as a final topping. There are several cultural variants of compote, too. An Eastern European version uses dried fruit, and is called "kompot." Another dried fruit kind, made by the Mennonites, is known as "pluma moos." It's pretty common in Jewish cuisine as well. Although this word to the modern French refers to something as little different--an unsweetened fruit puree, such as applesauce.
Moving on, since we now know what a compote is, let's get to the makers of the example I had. Janet's is owned by two sisters--Jessica Amel and Angela Kmeck. The "Janet" in the company and brand name is after their mother, Janet. (I couldn't find out Janet's surname online--it may be Amel, or Kmeck, or something entirely different.) Janet started making compotes in 1996. By 2017 the family started the company, and thus began selling them. All of the five compotes offered by Janet's include jalapeno, but the fruit bases vary. Aside from the mixed berry jalapeno one I had, they also make a peach berry jalapeno kind, a raspberry jalapeno one, a blackberry jalapeno one, and a cranberry jalapeno kind. On the website, it notes that all of their compotes are designed to be "midwestern spicy," which means, "...a subtle gentle heat that sneaks in at the end of each bite." And it's supposed to complement the fruit rather than compete with it. Otherwise, all of the Janet's wares lack gluten, artificial sweeteners, and preservatives.
Janet's finest compotes, mixed berry jalapeno flavor: It was a deep purplish-red color, and it had a peppery odor. It had the typical jam/jelly/preserve texture, or spreadable. I had some plain, and some on a cracker. I could detect both sweet and spicy flavors. It had a decent spice bite, but it wasn't too overpowering. I think the "midwestern spicy" explanation above summed it up well, and it worked for me. Both plain and on the cracker were about the same, or good. So it you're looking for a different take on jam/jelly/preserves, and like some, but not a ton of spice bite, this is a decent choice.
Therefore, I came away impressed by this compote. And I would certainly be willing to try other Janet's compotes, especially the cranberry jalapeno one. If/when my local shop gets some, I'll buy 'em and add my opinions on them here.
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