Strawberry Preserves: Smokin

Actually we already went, Julia, Kate, Shae and I. We had fun and of course we ate, took photos of what we ate. So then I got home with 15 pounds of strawberries. I escorted about a pound of the cutest, easiest looking ones (more on that shenanigan in the coming days).

6 lbs. were rinsed, hulled, tossed with the juice of two lemons & 7 cups of sugar, and put in the fridge to relax. And it’s really quite amazing how fast the remaining 7 or so pounds just disappeared. I didn’t make anything else with them, they just kind of vanished into chomping teeth.

If you know what I mean. Anyway, back to the 6 lbs. in the fridge:

First, you must know that strawberries are not the easiest thing to set up for a year’s worth of boxed-pectin free preserves.

I mean, in theory they are. But if you’re really aiming for a true preserve, not a syrup, and you want the fresh taste of the berry to shine, with not a trace of that over-cookedness that can happen so easily in the thick of things – or the attempt there of. Then it takes a little know-how or a little luck or some of these:

Strawberry Preserves: Smokin

2 lbs. strawberries, washed, hulled and left whole (fresh or frozen)
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup filtered water
zest (1 heaping tbsp.) & juice (about 1/3 cup) of 1 large organic lemon
2 dried chipotle peppers, stems removed, coarsely chopped (I included all the seeds)
pinch salt
2 tbsp. honey

Directions

1. Day 1. If berries are frozen, rinse under warm water to begin thawing. Combine strawberries, sugar, water, lemon zest & juice, chipotle peppers and salt in a heat-proof bowl. Mix well and allow to macerate, at room temperature for a few hours, to allow juice to be drawn out of the berries, then refrigerated overnight, for up to 24 hours.
2. Day 2. Strain juice from berries into a large pot or preserving pan. Bring syrup to a boil an boil for 5 minutes. Return berries to bowl, pour hot juice over fruit, cover and refrigerate overnight.
3. Day 3. Transfer berries & juice to a preserving pan. Bring to a simmer. (Stir minimally, if at all; remember you want to preserve the berries intact.) Remove from heat, cover, and allow to rest, at room temperature or refrigerated, for about 8 hours. Bring to a simmer again, then return to the heat-proof bowl, cover and refrigerate overnight.
4. Day 4. Repeat Day 3: bring fruit to a simmer twice during the day, about 8 (ish) hours apart. Refrigerate overnight.
5. Day 5. Repeat Day 3 once again. Refrigerate overnight.
6. Day 6. Prepare canner, jars & lids.

add

Strain juice from berries into your preserving pan (strawberry juice will foam a lot; I use a 5-quart Dutch oven for this step). The juice will have thickened considerably over the week; gently stir the berries, taking care not to break/bruise the whole fruit, to yield all of the syrupy juice; leave the berries draining over the bowl. Taste juice and add honey if desired.

Bring the juice to a full boil; continue to boil over high heat, stirring minimally if at all, until most foam has subsided and the syrup begins to bubble thickly (about 218 degrees F). Immediately add strawberries and any additional juice that has strained into the bowl. Gently stir berries into syrup; return to a boil. Cook at a low boil for another 2 minutes to heat the berries through, or until the syrup returns to 218 degrees F. Turn off heat, and with a slotted spoon, pack fruit into hot sterilized jars to 1/2-inch headspace. Ladle piping hot syrup over fruit to 1/4-inch headspace. Carefully remove air bubbles, wipe rims, affix lids and process for 5 minutes in a boiling water bath.