Strawberry Canning Day

After a long hiatus, I got back into canning again for the season. I drug everything I would need up from the laundry room…

including my chicken apron. Somehow it seems to get me in the canning mood. :o)

First I made a couple of batches of jam. One plain and one with 3 teaspoons of crushed dried lavender mixed into the sugar. You could easily do it with your favorite strawberry jam recipe. It has such a delicate floral aroma that would be lovely on a scone with a cup of tea.

 

I also made a batch of strawberry honey lemonade concentrate using the recipe from the Ball Blue Book and some honey sugar I picked up bulk at the grocery. It’s a little bit different, but I really like it on a warm spring day!

Strawberry Lemonade Concentrate

6 cups strawberries pureed in food processor or blender

 

 

Pour puree into a large saucepan. Add…

4 cups lemon juice (fresh or bottled)

6 cups sugar

 

Heat to 190 over medium high heat, stirring occasionally.

Pour into prepared jars with a 1/4” headspace. Top with prepared lids and bands.Process for 15 minutes in boiling water bath. Turn off heat and let jars rest for 5 minutes before removing from canner. Let sit for 12-24 hours before checking the seals.

Add 1 to 2 parts water to 1 part concentrate.