1
Prepare the fruit. Wash everything under cold water. Halve the plums round the seam and lift the stones out. Hull the strawberries and halve any large ones. Keep the two fruits separate, because they do not go into the pan at the same time.
2
Dissolve the sugar. Put the water and the sugar into a large pan over a medium heat and stir until the sugar has completely dissolved.
3
Simmer the plums, then add the strawberries. Add the plums, the cloves and the cinnamon stick. Put the lid on, turn the heat low and simmer gently for 10 minutes. Add the strawberries and give it another 5 minutes. Plums need the longer cook and strawberries collapse if you give them the same, so they go in staggered. Do not let it boil hard or the fruit will break up and cloud the drink.
4
Take the spices out. Off the heat, fish out the cloves and the cinnamon stick straight away. Cloves left to steep will darken the colour and turn it bitter.
5
Strain, or do not. For a clear drink, set a sieve over a jug and ladle the kompot through, letting it drip rather than pressing the fruit through with a spoon. To serve it the other way, leave the fruit in the pot and ladle out fruit and liquid together.
6
Taste and finish. Taste it now that it is made. Add more sugar while it is still warm if it needs it, or let it down with a splash of water if it is too sweet. Squeeze in the lemon. Serve hot in a mug, or chill it and serve cold.