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Classic Strawberry Preserves

Source of Recipe

From "Beginner's Guide to Canning" by Diane Devereaux


Recipe Introduction

"Give a healthy and delicious gift to your loved ones this year! Many people avoid home-canned preserves because most recipes call for 8 cups of sugar. Using ClearJel®, a natural corn thickener, you can decrease the sugar content without losing the texture so you can enjoy the flavor of the fruit without all the sugar."

List of Ingredients

â—¦ 2 quarts whole strawberries, hulled and crushed (4 cups)
â—¦ ¼ cup bottled lemon juice
â—¦ ½ cup ClearJel®
â—¦ 1 ½ cups sugar, divided



Recipe

In a heavy-bottomed pot, cover the jars with hot water, add 1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar, and bring to a boil. Boil for 5 minutes, then turn off the heat. In a smaller pot, add lids and rings, 1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar, and water to cover. Boil for 5 minutes, then remove from heat and set aside.

In a medium heavy-bottomed stockpot, combine the strawberries (crushed with a potato masher) and lemon juice and mix well. Mix the ClearJel® with ½ cup of sugar, then add to the strawberries and mix well. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly. Add the remaining 1 cup of sugar, mix well, and return to a boil. Boil for 1 minute, then remove from the heat.

Place the hot jars on a cutting board. Using a funnel, ladle the hot preserves into the jars leaving a ¼-inch headspace. Remove any air bubbles and add additional preserves if necessary to maintain the ¼-inch headspace.

Wipe the rim of each jar with a warm washcloth dipped in distilled white vinegar. Place a lid and ring on each jar and hand-tighten.

Place the jars in the water bather, ensuring each jar is covered by at least 1 inch of water. Add 2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar to the water and turn the heat to high. Bring the canner to a boil and process half-pints for 10 minutes. Be sure not to start your timer until the water is at a full rolling boil. After processing, wait 5 minutes before removing the jars from the canner.

Makes 5 half-pints