Strawberry Lemonade Concentrate (Water Bath Canning Recipe)
This easy for Strawberry Lemonade Concentrate is safe for water bath canning - or freezing!
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Servings: 5 pints
Ingredients
- 4 cups lemon juice bottled*
- 6 cups sugar
- 6 cups whole strawberries hulled (about 2 quarts)
Instructions
- Prepare equipment. Wash all canning supplies, jars, lids, and rings in hot soapy water. Sterilize if needed.
- Prepare the Jars and Lids. Fill the canner about ⅔ of the way with water and bring to a boil. Add 5-6 pint jars filled with hot water and bring to a boil, holding the boil for at least 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and leave in the canner until needed. Add the jar lids and rings to a pot of gently simmering water and keep warm over low heat during the canning process.
- Add the lemon juice and sugar to a large stainless steel saucepan. Stir well.
- Puree the strawberries. Once your strawberries are hulled (green parts removed), add them (in batches) to a food processor or high powered blender. Blend until completely smooth.
- Preparing the concentrate. Add the pureed strawberries to the lemon and sugar mixture and stir to combine.
- Heat the concentrate. Bring the mixture to a very low, subtle simmer over medium-high heat. You do not want it to boil, so make sure to watch it closely and stir occasionally. You should hear a gentle simmer, but no bubbles. The mixture needs to reach a heat of 190ºF (80ºC)**, so once you get the correct reading (tested in the center), remove the saucepan from the heat.
- Skim off foam. There will be a layer of light pink foam on top. Scoop as much of this off as you can with a spoon.
- Fill the jars. Remove a jar from the water and empty it. Fit the jar with a canning funnel, and ladle the juice concentrate into the jar, leaving a generous ¼” headspace at the top. Remove any air bubbles with a clean butter knife, chopstick, or debubbler tool. Adjust headspace if necessary.
- Wipe the rim of the jar with a clean, damp kitchen towel (or paper towels). Using a magnetic lid lifter, center a warm lid on the jar, then secure a canning ring until it is fingertip tight.
- Place the filled jar in the canner, then repeat with the remaining concentrate until all of the jars are filled (or the liquid has been used up).
- Place the lid on the canner and bring it back up to a rolling boil over high heat.
- Process the jars. Once a boil has been reached, start the timer and process the jars for 15 minutes.
- When the 15 minutes are up, turn off the heat and remove the canner from the element. Remove the lid, and wait 5 minutes.
- After the 5 minutes are up, remove the jars with a jar lifter and place them on a thick kitchen towel. Leave them completely undisturbed for 24 hours.
- Storing. After 24 hours, check the seals and remove the canning rings. Wipe down the jars and label them. Any jars that have not been sealed should be moved to the fridge to be eaten right away.
- When serving, add the jar to a large pitcher. Dilute with 2-4 cups of water, ginger ale, water kefir, or sparkling water***.
Notes
Adapted from the Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving
*Lemon juice: Use store-bought bottled lemon juice instead of freshly squeezed. Bottled lemon juice has to meet certain criteria for acidity, while freshly squeezed juice varies in acidity. A high acidity is part of what makes a recipe like this safe for water bath canning, so it’s important to follow the recipe.
**Temperature: Use a digital thermometer to ensure the mixture reaches 190ºF (90ºC) for safety. Since the mixture is not boiled (to preserve the flavor of the lemon juice), checking the temperature is the only way to know if an adequate heat level has been achieved.
***Preparing the juice: To reconstitute the strawberry lemonade concentrate, dilute it with cold water, ginger ale, water kefir, or sparkling water. This can be done at a 1:1 ratio (1 cup concentrate + 1 cup of liquid) for a strong flavor, or a 1:1.5 or 1:2 ratio for a lighter juice flavor (1 cup of concentrate + 1.5-2 cups liquid). You can use the pint jar to measure.
Storing: The USDA states that home canned food (with a true seal) is good for at least 1 year, while most jar manufacturers say the seal is good for at least 18 months. Many experienced canners maintain that canned foods are good for many years, but the quality will begin to degrade after 1 year. Keep in a cool, dark place (like a basement) for the best results. Never store your home canned goods with the outer ring in place, and discard if the seal is compromised or there is any off smell or growth in the jar.
Freezing: If you prefer to freeze your juice concentrate instead of canning, that's totally fine! Store it in freezer-safe containers (or if in glass jars, use those with straight sides like half pints or asparagus jars) for up to 6 months. Chill the concentrate before placing in the freezer.
High Altitudes:
- >1,000 feet: 15 minutes
- 1,001-3,000 feet: 20 minutes
- 3,001-6,000 feet: 25 minutes
- 6,001-8,000 feet: 30 minutes
- 8,001+ feet: 35 minutes