Tag: Harvest

Canning/Harvest, Recipes

Strawberry Preserves

Keira

I’ve been experimenting with different preservation techniques over the past few years. I’m not really a jam/jelly fan, and I think it is because of all of the corn included in commercial pectin. I know there are other sources for pectin, and I have heard good reviews, but I haven’t purchased any yet. For now, I’m trying recipes that don’t call for pectin or using homemade pectin. The nice thing about preserves is that they are cooked down, so that they don’t require additional pectin to set up. And preserves just sound fancy. The drawbacks to preserves are that it 1) takes WAY more time (1-2 days!) and 2) the longer you cook a fruit, the more you break down the nutritional benefits within the fruit. I guess it’s a toss-up. less sugar and corny ingredients. More nutritional breakdown.

That’s why you make some of each, right?

I haven’t opened the jars yet, but they sure look purdy.

Strawberry Preserves
Author: Keira @ Searchforseven.com
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 4 half-pints
Ingredients
  • 3 lbs rinsed and hulled strawberries
  • 2-5 cups sugar (to taste. I like mine less sweet. It does make it a softer set, though)
  • 1/3 c strained fresh lemon juice [bottled has more consistent Ph, but I can’t have the sulfur preservatives]
Instructions
  1. Layer the strawberries and sugar in a large bowl. Cover and refrigerate overnight, or at least 3 hrs.
  2. Transfer strawberries and sugar in 6-8 qt saucepan. Bring to boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally, being careful to not break up the fruit. Cook until sugar dissolves.
  3. Add lemon juice [I had to add the lemon juice before the sugar dissolved because it was just caramelizing the sugar. I think my strawberries were too fresh]. Bring to boil and cook to jelly stage220°, approximately 30 minutes
  4. Pour into cake pan. Let stand uncovered in cool place for 12-24 hrs.
  5. Return to saucepan and bring fruit and syrup to a boil.
  6. Remove from heat, skim foam. Immediately fill hot sterile ½ pt jars leaving ¼” head-space. Carefully remove trapped air bubbles with non-metallic tool (I use the end of a plastic spoon. You can also use a chopstick or canning knife
  7. Wipe jars clean, add lids and rings, and process in water-bath for 10 minutes [5 minutes at sea-level].
Notes
If you like more solid strawberries, you can boil for 10 minutes, strain juice, and then cook down the juice for another 15 minutes. I didn’t do this, but I might, after I try how these came out.[br]I double the recipe when I make it. It works just fine doubled.

 

 

Canning/Harvest, Recipes

2014 Strawberry Preservation

Keira

I didn’t get nearly as many strawberries as I wanted to, this year. By the time I realized I wouldn’t be moving “any day,” most of the strawberries were already gone. and there was that time I waited too long when I HAD purchased some strawberries and I had to throw most of them away. We won’t get into how happy THAT made me. Especially because my brother saw the boxes of strawberries and said I must really love him to have bought that many, and if I weren’t his sister he’d think I was intending some romantic gesture. For my not-so-affectionate little bro, that’s huge.

I did get some strawberries in the freezer, and I dehydrated a TON (That somehow only filled 1/2 a gallon bag. Seriously, if my little miss didn’t like them so much, I wouldn’t do them. But she won’t each much fruit, so the fact that she loves dehydrated strawberries makes them totally worth the work).

Untitled

The rest of the strawberries turned into strawberry preserves and strawberry jam. I am experimenting this year, so I tried a few different recipes.

Strawberry Preserves

Strawberry Lime Jam with Apple Pectin

Pectin-Free Strawberry Jam