Black Cherry & Vanilla w/ Apple Fruit Compote product reviews

Since I started watching cooking shows, especially cooking competition shows, I have been more adventurous with what flavour combinations I have tried tasting. Growing up I was a very fussy eater and would drive my parents crazy because I wouldn't try new foods, I just stuck to the foods and flavours I was familiar with. When I went flatting I just stuck to basic food that was quick and easy to prepare and make, however after becoming a mother I had more time so could play around with flavours. Since having children my taste palette has widened immensely and I enjoy flavours I previously thought I would dislike.

When I saw that Barkers had some intriguing flavours of compotes available to review I instantly had ideas floating around in my head of how I could possibly use it. I received the Black Cherry & Vanilla w/ Apple Fruit Compote in my review box. The packaging is eye-catching yet simplistic, my favourite parts would be the plump, juicy cherries and the clear window where you can see the rich flavour of the compote. There is a handy nozzle to pour from and a screw cap to close it. I told myself I would save the compote it and use it on Christmas Day to share with family. I lasted a couple of hours before my desire to try the compote took over.

The first time I tried this I poured a large amount onto a bowl of French Vanilla ice cream. The fruity smell was strong and was smelling delicious. My first mouthful and I was pleasantly surprised at how much flavour the compote packed. The flavour wasn't too bitter and certainly wasn't too sweet. The package size means that it is perfect for several uses and doesn't run out quickly. I have always liked Barkers products because I admire their quality and how they are New Zealand made.

I think I will buy this product next time we shop, especially next time I am having friends over for dinner and I will use it on a fresh cheesecake. I will keep an eye out for the other flavour compote as well.

Barkers black cherry and vanilla with apple fruit compote is one of the best products to enter our household in awhile! The range of uses for this product is endless and I am sure I have only just begun to trial the range that this product is capable of. Being in quite a large packet it's ideal for baking purposes however just as ideal for smaller eating opportunities such as just adding it to your breakfast as once the packet is opened it keeps in the fridge for 14 days! Barkers are known in our household as a very trusted and true brand that we always pick over others so to have another product to add to the list is just simply fanastic.

Upon first taste of this product I was really blown away by the taste senstation that Barkers has managed to achieve - it tastes like black cherry and it tastes like vanilla. I don't know how but one flavour or the other hasnt been lost which I feel is a massive achievement, the mix is quite simply declious and based on this fact alone we will be buying this product again and again. The next fact that kicks this product up a notch on the list compared to others out there you can buy is the fact that the packaging is wonderful! It can stand up, lie down and bend in half with flexibility. You can pour the product out perfectly over and over again with the wonderful hard spout. Also, the packet is (of course) resealable meaning you can literally keep the product for 14days in the fridge to use over and over again to your hearts content.

The first way I used this product was to add it to custard in little sweet cases for a platter of desserts on christmas day. These were perfect for young and old alike as they were just the right size and just the most perfect taste! The black cherry and vanilla mixed perfectly with the taste of custard and everyone who tried one was not only asking for more but asking what I had used to make them! This really stood out for me as a true test of a great product when so many others were asking for details. I also added this to my breakfast with yoghurt and cereal which was a yummy treat, my children aged four and two also enjoyed this for dessert one night. I liked being able to give them a "treat" that was still on the healthy side compared to many other products out there on the market. I also added this product to our muffin mix for something a little different, again the flavour wasn't lost at all.

Full of real fruit pieces, I felt rest assured that this was indeed a real product and not full of nasties like other brands out there on the market. A top quality product we will definately be buying again, I fully recommend you try it out too!

I'll be honest, I wasn't entirely sure what this product was until I read the Tips & Ideas list. Then I couldn't stop thinking about how amazing and versatile this product really is. I was pretty happy to receive a packet for review, so I could really test it out and see how far this product could go.

Since it was Christmas we decided the perfect opportunity to use this product would be on top of a pavlova and then again with some sticky date pudding and custard for dessert. Everyone loved the extra flavour it created on top of the pavlova and my dad even went back to put more of it on his bowl of dessert. The next morning, we again put it out for people to add to whatever they wanted to add it to - yogurt, cereal, etc. and once again it went down really well.

We also decided to try this on our ice cream to see if it would make it even better, it wasn't quite the flavour I was expecting but was still really good. I thought it would make the dessert sweeter somehow, but it just added another texture to it and some more flavours but not really much sweetness. I think it would make a fantastic ingredient in a homemade ice cream if someone more creative than me was keen to try.

Having a resealable packet is the icing on the cake (speaking of cakes, putting it in a middle layer of a cake would also work really well). It recommends that it can be kept for up to 14 days in the fridge and it's such a large packet that it can be used for many things within those 14 days. In the time that I've had it I have managed to add it to a pavlova, sticky date pudding, custard, yoghurt and ice cream and I still have plenty left and a whole week left to use it. I plan to make some tarts next and I'm sure they'll go down just as well as everything else.

With this product in the Barkers brand family it was always going to be a winner but you don't really realise how much of a winner it really is until you try it out for yourself. One thing I would mention is that make sure you've got a few different ideas for what you want to do with it all so you can use it up within the 14 days otherwise it will go to waste. For the price of $5.99 it sure does go a long way and can be the perfect finishing touch to so many different recipes.

I'm always looking forward to cherry season, they're one of my favourite fruits and I eagerly await its affordability. I like the simplicity of the packaging, it doesn't overwhelm you with colour but still makes it clear just what you'll get and also has a handy viewing spot so you can not only see what you're getting but see when you are getting low and need to purchase more. It also has a handy spout for dishing out the compote and the flexibility of the packet means you'll be able to squeeze out almost every last drop of compote.

My first use of this was in my all time Christmas favourite, brandy snaps. I wanted to get just a small amount of the compote in each brandy snap but found that some ended up with more, and that it was hard at times as I got whole cherries. I made two batches, one with the compote and cream added seperatly and one with the compote blended into the cream. Of the two I far preferred the compote not mixed in with the cream and got wondeful mouthfuls of cream and cherry with just a hint of vanilla and apple.

I was making a vegan cheesecake for Christmas, a favourite of my grandparents, and I decided to see how this would go with the flavours of said cheesecake. Now, I say cheesecake, but obviously being vegan there was no dairy, the filling was made using tofu which was flavoured with a little sugar and vanilla essence. It had to be baked but I wanted to see how the compote would do in the oven, so I squeezed out a good portion onto the middle of the cake and then spread it out and swirled it through slightly. It baked in the oven for fifty minutes and then was left it cool. This compote added a lovely flavour to the 'cheesecake' and was well enjoyed by all.

This worked well in a good range of uses and I still have half of the quantity left, will be getting this again for sure.

Having tried one of the compotes in the new range from Barker's, I was keen to try this one too but with a new group of people. In the course of my work I often eat with different groups, and sometimes we eat at one of their homes. This is always a good opportunity to do a test-run with a new review product. And people love it when I take over their kitchen so they can sit back!

My testers for the compote were three friends - two retired and one working as a freelance writer. They are all addicted to cherries so were excited that this was going to be one of the main ingredients. The packs contain generous amounts of the mixture, so we divided the contents into three with the idea of having one small main and two smallish desserts.

The first test was as a side garnish with pork chops (where we would normally serve apple sauce). The pork chops were prepared in a slow cooker so they would be tender and juicy. I served them with plain mashed potatoes and asparagus. That was a popular combination, especially for one of my retirees who has false teeth and prefers soft food. He was enthusiastic about the dish and wanted a second helping, but as we were going to try out some other possibilities for dessert, he was not allowed to take more.

Our second dish was as a spread on a sponge sandwich, again with a little cream. We spread the compote quite thinly and found it was strong enough like that; too much might have oozed through. I was bossy and would not allow anyone to have a big slice because I wanted them to have room for a third test dish. Mr False Teeth said he would manage both, but I said he could have seconds after I had finished the test run so he had to be content with that.

Our last trial dish featured rice pudding as a base, with the compote squeezed on top, and a dollop of cream to finish it off. Mr False Teeth's sister, the other retiree, said it was nice but not quite sweet enough for her. That was interesting as the writer and I thought it was very sweet indeed. However, the cherry flavour is quite strong, so that might mask the sweetness somewhat.

Everyone approved of the long fridge life (14 days after opening), the easy-pour nozzle, and the rich colour of the fruit. They could think of lots of other ways they could use it, commenting on the nice big chunks of cherry - even a couple of whole ones - and the little pieces of apple, and saying it would even be nice served in a fruit salad or an apple crumble to enhance the apple flavour. The possibilities are endless.

I always look forward to the Summer months when fresh cherries are available in store and as it's not quite Summer yet (although the weather from the past few days may suggest otherwise) when I saw this delicious sounding fruit compote up for review I was very excited to try it after all how could you go wrong with a combination that consists of black cherry and vanilla with apples?

The packaging which Barkers have used for this product is brilliant, a strong clastic bag like pouch which has a cap that unscrews at one corner so that you can easily squeeze/pour out just the right ammount of compote that you need, the size of the spout is quite large and makes for easy use. I also absolutely love that the packaging has a clear see-through window on the front so that you can see how the product actually looks and when you are nearly out of this delightful treat. As per usual Barkers have done a outstanding job with the presentation of the packaging with images which truly reflect the contents and of course there's a great use of suggestions for use. Of course a taste test was compulsary so this is exactly what I did and I was most impressed there were lovely soft chunks of apple and cherry throughout in what I would describe as a very tasty thick sauce, which had a distinct hint of vanilla it was lovely and the flavours were all then and went so well together.

The first time I used this I decided to use it to create some black forest inspired pancakes. I made up some chocolate pancakes and then layered them on a plate with some whipped cream and strawberries, I then finished them off with a scoop each of chgocolate and vanilla ice creams, some whipped cream, chocolate sauce and lastly some of the black cherry & vanilla with apple fruit compote. The combination of the fruit compote with the chocolate was an absolute winner it tasted absolutely divine and the whole family loved it. The compote was full of flavour and I loved that it was the perfect fruity flavour I was after for this dish.

Next up I decided to use it to decorate some vanilla cupcakes with, rather than using it straight from the pack I decided to use it to add a fruity flavour to some icing. I took out 3 spoonfuls of the compote from the pack and blended them in the blender until the compote was of a smooth consistency, due to the soft consistency of the fruit this didn't take long at all. I mixed the compote into some icing sugar with butter and the colour of the icing looked absolutely amazing on the cupcakes, it tasted even better, the sweetness of the icing sugar and the fruity tart taste of the cherries and apples really worked. My partner asked how I had made the icing as he thought it tasted really good and not as sweet as it normally is.

Goodness me Barkers you have done it again, what a delicious fruit compote full of flavour and with so many different uses I can't wait to try out some more recipes using this and other variants of your fruit compotes.