Strawberry Conserve Recipes

OLD-FASHIONED STRAWBERRY PRESERVES

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• Wash the strawberries in cold water and drain thoroughly. Hull them and discard the caps. Halve or quarter the strawberries lengthwise.
• Combine the berries with the sugar in a bowl or a large stainless steel or enamel-lined pan and let sit for 2 hours at room temperature, then refrigerate overnight.
• In a medium saucepot, bring the strawberries to a boil slowly, stirring occasionally. Add the lemon juice.
• Cook rapidly over medium heat until the strawberry mixture reaches a temperature of 221 F, 25 to 45 minutes. Skim off any foam from the surface.
• Ladle or funnel the strawberry preserves into hot, sterilized jars , leaving 1/4-inch headspace.
• Process for 10 minutes in a boiling water bath .
• Cool and store in the fridge until ready to use.

MOM'S HOMEMADE STRAWBERRY PRESERVES

Steps:

• Mash strawberries in a medium pot with a potato masher to desired consistency. I like some large pieces of strawberries and others that are completely mashed.
• Stir in lemon juice, sugar, and salt.
• Bring mixture to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, turn heat to medium and add cornstarch mixed with cold water. Stir. Let simmer over medium heat for 7 minutes, stirring every minute.
• Remove from heat, and let preserves cool in a large bowl at room temperature for 30 minutes before cooling completely in the refrigerator.
• Once cooled, transfer preserves to mason jars or other airtight containers!

STRAWBERRY JAM

Steps:

• In a wide bowl, crush strawberries in batches until you have 4 cups of mashed berry. In a heavy bottomed saucepan, mix together the strawberries, sugar, and lemon juice. Stir over low heat until the sugar is dissolved. Increase heat to high, and bring the mixture to a full rolling boil. Boil, stirring often, until the mixture reaches 220 degrees F (105 degrees C). Transfer to hot sterile jars, leaving 1/4 to 1/2 inch headspace, and seal. Process in a water bath. If the jam is going to be eaten right away, don't bother with processing, and just refrigerate.

FRAGRANT STRAWBERRY CONSERVE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Wash your jars and lids in hot soapy water, rinse well and put the jars upright in a roasting tin in the oven for 10 mins.
• Wipe off any dirt from the fruit using damp kitchen paper, or rinse them gently in cold water, then drain well. Remove the hulls.
• Put the lime juice and sugar in a preserving pan or large wide saucepan and heat gently, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Remove from the heat and stir in the strawberries. Leave for 30 mins off the heat.
• Return to the heat and bring to the boil, then boil, uncovered, for 5-8 mins until setting point is reached (see tip, left).
• Skim off any foam from the surface of the conserve, then stir in the butter to disperse any that remains. Stir in the rose water and leave to cool for 30 mins. Pot into your sterilised jars, seal, label and store in a cool dry place. Will keep for 6 months.

STRAWBERRY PRESERVES

Steps:

• Put strawberries and lemon juice in a large saucepan. Cook, stirring occasionally, over low heat until juices are released, about 40 minutes. Stir in sugar.
• Bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture registers 210 degrees on a candy thermometer, about 15 minutes. Let cool completely; skim foam from surface with a spoon.

STRAWBERRY JAM

Steps:

• Place the mason jars in a large hot water bath canner (or pot). Cover with water and bring to a simmer. Simmer the center lids in separate saucepan full of water.
• Place the mashed strawberries and lemon juice in a separate pot. Stir in the pectin until dissolved. Bring the strawberries to a strong boil.
• Add the sugar (measure beforehand so you can add it all at once), and then return the mixture to a full (violent) boil that can't be stirred down. Boil hard for 1 minute 15 seconds. Skim foam off the top.
• Remove one jar at a time from the simmering water. Pour water back into the pot. Using a wide-mouth funnel, fill each jar with jam, being careful to keep the liquid/fruit ratio consistent. Fill the jars so that they have 1/4-inch of space at the top. Run a knife down the side of the jar to get rid of air bubbles. Wipe the rim of the jar with a wet cloth to remove any residue or stickiness.
• Remove the center lid from the simmering water and position it on top. Put screw bands on jars, but do not over tighten! Repeat with all the jars, and then place the jars on a canning rack and lower into the water. Place the lid on the canner, and then bring the water to a full boil. Boil hard for 10 to 12 minutes.
• Turn off the heat and allow the jars to remain in the hot water for an addition 5 minutes. Remove the jars from the water using a jar lifter, and allow them to sit undisturbed for 24 hours.
• After 24 hours, remove the screw bands and check the seal of the jars. The center lids should have no give whatsoever. If any seals are compromised, store those jars in the fridge. Otherwise, fill your pantry with your newly canned goodness.

STRAWBERRY JAM

Steps:

• Prepare the strawberries by wiping them with a piece of damp kitchen paper. (Wiping the strawberries rather than washing them ensures the fruit doesn't absorb lots of water - too much water and the jam won't set easily.) To hull the fruit, use a knife to cut a cone shape into the strawberry and remove the stem. Cut any large berries in half.
• Put the strawberries in a bowl and gently toss through the sugar. Leave uncovered at room temperature for 12 hrs or overnight. This process helps the sugar to dissolve, ensures the fruit doesn't disintegrate too much and helps to keep its vibrant colour.
• Before starting the jam, put 2 saucers in the freezer. Tip the strawberry mixture into a preserving pan with the lemon juice. Set over a low heat and cook very gently. If any sugar remains on the sides of the pan, dip a pastry brush in hot water and brush the sugar away.
• When you can no longer feel any grains of sugar remaining, turn up the heat to start bubbling the jam and bringing it to the boil. (The sugar must be completely dissolved before increasing the heat, otherwise it will be difficult for the jam to set, and it may contain crystallised lumps of sugar.)
• Boil hard for 5-10 mins until the jam has reached 105C on a preserving or digital thermometer, then turn off the heat. If you don't have a thermometer, spoon a little jam onto one of the cold saucers. Leave for 30 secs, then push with your finger; if the jam wrinkles and doesn't flood to fill the gap, it is ready. If not, turn the heat back on and boil for 2 mins more, then turn off the heat and do the wrinkle test again. Repeat until ready.
• Use a spoon to skim any scum that has risen to the surface and discard this. Do this only once at the end, rather than constantly during the boiling stage, to reduce wastage.
• Add a knob of butter, if you like, to the finished jam, and stir in to melt. This will help to dissolve any remaining scum that you haven't managed to spoon off the top. Leave the jam to settle for 15 mins - this will ensure that the fruit stays suspended in the mixture and doesn't all float to the top of the jam jar. Meanwhile, sterilise your jars.
• Ladle into warm jars, filling to just below the rim. Place a wax disc on top of the jam (this prevents mildew forming), then cover with a lid or a cellophane circle and elastic band. Pop on a label (include the date), plus a pretty fabric top, if you like. The jam can be stored for up to 1 year in a cool, dry place. Refrigerate after opening.