How to Make Sensational Strawberry Preserves

Preserve the freshness and goodness of strawberries by making your own sensational strawberry preserves.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• 6 cups strawberries
• 4 cups sugar
• 1 pkg fruit pectin
• jelly jars
• new canning lid fillers
• approx. 1 hour

1. 
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   PREPARE JARS and LIDS
   
   
   
   Wash jelly jars with soap and water. Rinse. Place clean jars in the rack of your hot water bath canner filled to cover jars. Boil for 15 minutes to sterilize. Lift the jars out of the water. After strawberry preserves are cooked. 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 perform this step 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. 
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   PREPARE FRESH
   STRAWBERRIES
   
   
   
   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 bruise or blemish on each strawberry. (I like to rinse each berry after capping.) Slide large berries in half and place in a measuring cup.
   
   Rinse and cap 6 cups of berries.

3. PUT SUGAR IN COOKING POT
   
   Measure 4 cups of sugar into 6-8 qt. heavy guage stainless steel cooking pot.

4. POUR STRAWBERRIES INTO POT and CHOP
   
   Pour strawberries into cooking pot on top of sugar. Using a hand-held food chopper, chop strawberries to desired fineness. (I like to have fairly large chunks of berries in my preserves, so I don't chop very fine.)

5. MIX BERRIES and SUGAR, ADD PECTIN, MIX
   
   Using a wooden spoon, mix berries and sugar together. Pour fruit pectin into the mixture and stir. Allow mixture to come to a boil. After strawberries begin to boil, stir constantly to prevent sticking to the bottom of the pan. When strawberry mixture reaches the point that the boil cannot be stirred down, boil for one minute longer. Remove from heat.

6. 
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   SKIM FOAM OFF TOP
   
   
   
   
   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, sensational strawberry preserves.

7. POUR STRAWBERRY PRESERVES INTO JARS
   
   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 sensational strawberry preserves. Fill to neck of jar, approximately 1/2 to 3/4 inch from top of jar.

8. WIPE THE RIM OF EACH JAR AND CAP
   
   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 jar filler cap from hot water and place on top of jar of preserves. Screw 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 PROCESS
   
   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 cools and 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 to caps and lids.
• Serve on buttered grill toast with a tall glass of cold milk. Great breakfast or anytime snack.

Resources

• Recipes of Yore #1
• Recipes of Yore #2
• FREE pics for content writers

[hnatalieann]

on 5/25/2009 Sounds so yummy!!!! 5 stars and recommended!

[mangomina]

on 5/12/2009 Yummy! I just bought a big batch of strawberries from a fruit stand. Now I know what to do with them 5*s

[Marilynda]

on 5/6/2009 I love strawberry preserves but have never made my own. Might give it a try after reading your article. 5*

[carmensjones]

on 5/5/2009 saved article to favorites and will try making strawberry preserves this summer

[drjen]

on 5/4/2009 My grandmother used to do this, but I have never tried it. Your article has inspired me to finally make my own strawberry preserves this summer! 5*