Homemade Strawberry Preserves (3 Ingredients)
This Strawberry Preserves Recipe is made with delicious in-season strawberries, creating a sweet spread you can use anywhere. These preserves don’t use a canning process, making it a beginner-friendly recipe. Serve these preserves on biscuits, pancakes, toast, vanilla ice cream, or whatever you please for a yummy strawberry flavor.
Servings: 20
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 pounds fresh strawberries*
- 1 1/2 cups (300 g) granulated sugar
- 1/2 lemon, juiced*
Instructions
How To Hull Strawberries
- Pull the stem/leaves off of the strawberry.
- Insert a paring knife on the edge of the white part of the strawberry angled inward. See photos above.
- Rotate the knife around making a full circle.
- Scrape the white part out with the knife.
- Repeat with the remaining strawberries.
Cooking the Strawberries
- Using a large knife roughly chop all of the strawberries.2 pounds fresh strawberries*
- Over medium heat in a large pan, add the strawberries, sugar, and lemon juice, stirring continuously. The strawberries will begin to release water.1 1/2 cups (300 g) granulated sugar, 1/2 lemon, juiced*
- Once they do, turn the heat to medium-high until the mixture boils rapidly. Boil at a full rolling boil for 20-25 minutes, stirring continuously.
- Once the mixture begins to thicken and most of the water has evaporated, turn off the heat. The jam should be syrupy, not be frothy, and will begin to stick to the sides of the pan. It should be about 220 degrees.
- Allow the preserves to cool in the pan for 30-45 minutes, stirring occasionally. If the preserves cool.
Notes
- Fresh Strawberries: If strawberries are out of season, you can create frozen strawberry preserves instead. Frozen strawberries are picked at peak season, so they will be as sweet as the in-season version. You'll need to thaw the strawberries before continuing with the strawberry preserves recipe.
- Lemon: Lemon juice helps offset the sweetness of the preserves and helps them set. However, it can be omitted since these preserves are not canned. You’ll notice a slightly thinner texture and a sweeter flavor when leaving out the lemon juice.
- Use in-season berries. The best preserves are made with in-season berries since they're sweeter. Do not use out-of-season berries for a strawberry preserves recipe, as they will create a more tangy/sour spread.
- Stir continuously. The sugar in preserves can burn easily in the pan, so it's important to stir continuously as it cooks. Consistently stirring will help keep any bits from sticking to the pan and burning.
- Boil long enough to evaporate excess moisture. This step is essential, as it helps create a thick, gooey consistency. They'll be watery if you leave too much moisture in the preserves.
- Cool the preserves. Allowing the preserves to cool before packing them away gives them time to set. Additionally, you can see if the preserves are thick enough once they cool. If not, they will thicken up in the fridge. Overly watery preserves can be cooked for longer to remove excess moisture.
Nutrition
Calories: 73kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 0.3g | Fat: 0.2g | Saturated Fat: 0.01g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.02g | Sodium: 1mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 17g