Bring berries, sugar, water, spices, and a pinch of salt to a boil in a heavy medium saucepan, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until fruit is very soft, about 30 minutes. Strain thourough a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, pressing gently on and then discarding solids. Cool, then chill, covered.
