How to Make Sensational Strawberry Preserves

Enjoy strawberries year-round by canning your own preserves.

Preserve the freshness and goodness of summer strawberries by making your own preserves. Strawberry preserves are perfect on buttered toast with a tall glass of cold milk -- great for breakfast or an anytime snack.

Difficulty:

Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• 6 cups strawberries
• 4 cups sugar
• 1 package fruit pectin
• Jelly jars
• New canning lid fillers

1. Wash jelly jars with soap and water. Rinse and place the clean jars in the rack of your hot water bath canner, filled to cover the jars. Boil for 15 minutes to sterilize. Remove jars from the canner using tongs. Empty the water out of each jar and set each jar upside down on a clean dish towel. Allow to drain. (Do not remove the jars from the hot water too soon, as you want your jars to still be hot when you pour the strawberry preserves inside them.) Wash, rinse and drain lid rings. Wash and rinse lid fillers. Place in a shallow saucepan and boil, for 15 minutes to sterilize. Turn off the heat, but leave the lid fillers in the saucepan until ready to use.

2. Place fresh strawberries in a colander and rinse with your sink sprayer. Using a small paring knife, remove the cap from each strawberry and cut away any bruises or blemishes on each strawberry. Slice large berries in half. Rinse and cap 6 cups of berries.

3. Measure 4 cups of sugar into a 6- to 8-quart heavy-gauge stainless steel cooking pot.

4. Pour strawberries into the cooking pot on top of the sugar. Using a handheld food chopper, chop strawberries to desired fineness.

5. Using a wooden spoon, mix the berries and sugar together. Pour fruit pectin into the mixture and stir again. Place over heat, and allow the mixture to come to a boil, stirring constantly to prevent sticking. When the strawberry mixture reaches the point that the boil cannot be stirred down, boil for one minute longer. Remove from heat.

6. After boiling subsides, there will be foam on top of the strawberry preserves. Using a metal spoon, skim the foam off. What remains is pure strawberry preserves.

7. Using tongs, turn a jar over and set it on a small plate -- to catch any spills. Put a funnel in the top of the jar, if preferred. Then, using a ladle, fill the jar with preserves. Fill to neck of jar, approximately 1/2 to 3/4 inch from the top of the jar.

8. Using a clean, damp paper towel, wipe the rim of the jar to make sure there is no jelly on it. Then, using tongs, remove a lid filler from hot water and place on top of the jar of preserves. Screw the cap ring on tightly, and then loosen slightly. (By screwing the ring tightly, you will ensure that the rubber from the filler lid makes good contact with the jar rim. By loosening, you will ensure that there is slight room for expansion.) You will have to hold the jaw with a hot pad or clean, dry dish towel when you tighten the lid, as the jaw will be very hot.

9. Repeat this process until all preserves are in jars. Jars should be set in a place that is out of a draft until they cool. As the strawberry preserves cool, you will hear a slight ping sound as each jar seals.

Tips & Warnings

• Add a small pat of butter to the strawberry preserves to prevent excessive foaming while cooking.

• Jars can be sealed with melted paraffin, if preferred.

References

• University of Georgia: Preserving Food: Processing Jams and Jellies