Wonderberries (also called Sunberries) belong to the nightshade family and by themselves don’t have much flavor. Biting into a raw or unripe one is not the most pleasant experience, but you shouldn’t do that anyway: The green, unripe berries can be toxic. When cooked, they release their ample amounts of juice and take on the flavors around them in a wonderful way.
They love the warm weather and sunshine of our Texas summers. The plants are quite large (at least three feet tall), and will continue to fruit through September.
This compote can be used as a topping on ice cream, in tarts as a base layer, mixed with granola, or spread on breads/muffins. If you don’t have access to fresh wonderberries, blueberries make a great substitute. You could also try this with-not-quite-ripe peaches.
Ingredients
- 2 cups ripe wonderberries, de-stemmed
- 1 small handful medium-sized Thai basil leaves
- juice and zest of 1 lemon
- 4 tablespoons local raw honey
- 3 tablespoons crème de cassis
- 1 inch minced ginger (optional)
Preparation
In a small pot over medium-low heat add berries, basil leaves, lemon juice and zest and honey. Cook for 5–10 minutes, or until juices begin to release from berries. Then add crème de cassis and, if using, ginger.
Continue to cook down until berries are softened and all has blended together. Keep an eye on it, though, because if left too long it can caramelize.
Should store in the fridge for up to a week, and can also be canned.
