How to Buy Strawberry Preserves
Strawberry preserves are such a popular breakfast food they are second only to grape jelly in the jams and fruit spreads category. While there may be no substitute for home-canned strawberry preserves, you don't have to forego enjoying them just because you don't have the time to make them from scratch. Read the steps below and learn how to buy strawberry preserves that taste as good as homemade. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
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Read the label ingredients before buying the strawberry preserves. The principal ingredients should be fresh picked strawberries. This ensures the deepest, most natural strawberry flavor.
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Check the color of the preserves. Professional taste testers found that color accurately indicates a natural-tasting product. The best tasting strawberry preserves boast a bright, red color. Inferior brands look brownish in color, indicating that the manufacturer added artificial coloring.
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Make sure that the preserves don't contain flavors from other fruits. Manufacturers of strawberry preserves sometimes add juices and concentrates from pears or apples to make up for the lack of natural strawberry taste in their preserves.
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Observe the consistency of the strawberry preserves. They should be thick and contain chunks of chopped strawberries. Lesser quality preserves appeared liquid with a smoothness resembling loose gelatin.
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Find a brand that uses both corn syrup and natural sugar as main sweeteners. Preserves relying only upon sugar taste like candy.
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Look for a brand of strawberry preserves that contains either lemon juice concentrate or citric acid. By balancing the sweetness from the sugar and fruit, lemon juice and citric acid improve the flavor of the preserves.
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