Making Strawberry Preserves

The idea of canning jam or preserves is overwhelming to some.  But, it doesn’t need to be.  You just need to put your jars and lids into the oven or into simmering water to keep sterile until you are ready.  When the jam is ready, pour into the bottle and put the lid on.  That’s it!!   

By the way, do you know the difference between preserves and jam?  The answer lies in the size of the fruit chunks.  Jam is made from crushed fruit pieces.  Preserves are made from whole fruit, or at least larger pieces.  Also, Preserves can have less sugar, although that depends on the recipe. 

For strawberry, I prefer preserves.  There is something wonderful about that whole chunk of strawberry on my biscuit.  Forget the rest, I just fish out the whole fruit piece.  Plus, if you’re the cook, there is less work- you use the fruit whole. 

Strawberry Preserves

4 cups strawberries, washed and capped.
1 cup water
4 cups sugar
Jars, lids, and rings ( makes 2-3 pints)

1. Wash jars in hot water with detergent and rinse well, or wash in the dishwasher.  Place clean jars in boiling water to cover and boil for 10 minutes.  Keep hot while you prepare the Preserves. 
2. Prepare the lids and rings according to manufacturers recommendations.
3. Combine water and sugar.  Cook until it reaches soft ball stage or 235 degrees F on the candy thermometer.  (See below for more info on the “soft-ball” stage.) 
4. Add the strawberries and cook over high heat for 15 minutes.  Skim off foam while cooking.
5. Put into sterilized jars, leaving approximately ¼ inch of headspace (air).  Wipe rim and threads with a damp paper towel to remove any sticky sugar residue and seal lids.  Tighten lids, but do not over-tighten. Turn the jars upside down to cool.  Put partially filled jars into fridge immediately.
6. Inspect the jars to be sure they sealed.  As they are cooling you may hear them “pop”.  This is a good sound- it means the vacuum has pulled the lid down.  Any jars that do not seal should be put in the fridge to use first. 
7. Make biscuits cause you know you want some!!!

NOTES:  You need to keep the Preserves and jars very hot.  If you work slowly and are worried that they may have cooled too much—not to worry, just put them back into the boiling water and boil for another 10 minutes (keep the jars upright).  Be careful to prevent burning.   

My grandmother made these preserves and sealed them with Parafin wax.  This is no longer recommended. 

You do not need pectin (Sure-Jel) for this recipe.  You can make larger batches, however, it is best to work with small batches until you have a little experience. 
“Soft-Ball” stage is reached at 235° F.  When a small bit of the syrup is dropped into cold water to cool it down, it will form a soft ball or drop on the bottom of the bowl.  You can squish the ball with your fingers, it will be soft.  Prior to the soft-ball stage the syrup will just go to the bottom of the bowl making a mess.
For the best results and most accuracy, I recommend that you use both a candy thermometer and the cold water test. It's also a good idea to test your thermometer's accuracy by placing it in plain boiling water. At sea level, it should read 212° F. If it reads above or below this number, make the necessary adjustments when cooking your syrup.  This is clumsy at first, but after a few times---it’s easy!  Enjoy!