Compote means a preparation consisting of a very high percentage of fruit (or vegetables) and very little sugar, which, in some cases, is completely absent. By law, we speak of fruit compotes only if they contain at least 65% fruit (in 1 kg of compote there must be at least 650 g of fruit).
In summary, a compote is richer in fruit and lower in sugar than jams and marmalades.
In current usage, the term compote often refers to sweet and sour sauces based on fruit or vegetables, such as tomatoes, onions or peppers, useful to garnish appetizers or to accompany cheeses and boiled meats, similar to Indian chutney.

Fruit preserves have very ancient origins. In fact, the Greeks already boiled quinces together with honey to thicken the sugars contained and obtain a preserve. In Rome, on the other hand, fruit was immersed in a mixture of raisin wine, cooked wine, must or honey.

Only with the Crusades did sugar arrive in Europe so we can speak of jam, produced with a method very similar to the current one, only from the Middle Ages.

Even today, compotes, preserves and jams are an essential element of Mediterranean cuisine and made in Italy.

CURIOSITY

The term marmalade derives from the Portuguese “marmelada”, meaning “jam jam”, or quince. The word marmelo derives from the Latin melimēlu (m), which, in turn, comes from the Greek melímēlon, composed of méli ‘honey’ and mêlon ‘apple’.

Originally, therefore, the term “jam” indicated “quince”, but then it was applied to jams made with all types of fruit.

“Jam” instead derives from confection, used to indicate food preparations intended for conservation.

“Compote”, finally, comes from the French compôte, in turn deriving from the Latin compōsita, feminine of the past participle of compōnere.

In the work of Artusi, a famous Italian writer, gastronome and literary critic, various compote recipes are listed, including that of apricots, pears, quinces and rice.