CANNING: Strawberry Lemonade Concentrate
- Strawberry Lemonade Ingredients
- Kitchen Equipment Needed
- How to Make Strawberry Lemonade Concentrate
- Pantry Storage Guidelines
- Strawberry Lemonade Concentrate (water-bath canning or freezer recipe)
This strawberry lemonade concentrate recipe is a refreshing summer beverage that’s one of the easiest things you could can. Just a few tablespoons of this concentrated beverage mix will make a pint of iced berry lemonade, or you can mix up a whole pitcher at a time.
I like to add sparkling water to make an extra fun summer spritzer! It’s a great non-alcoholic drink option for kids or anyone who wants a festive mocktail option. Or, you can spike it with vodka or white rum for a homemade hard seltzer. Try adding a splash to a glass of prosecco or cava for a flirty pink drink at your next brunch gathering or outdoor dinner party. So good.
It’s a great way to preserve the taste of the season, and can be used for making your own flavored iced teas, sangria, fruit punch, cocktails, frozen blended drinks, or of course, a frosty pitcher of fruity berry lemonade to share with your guests!
Strawberry Lemonade Ingredients
Strawberries:
You can use either fresh or frozen strawberries in this recipe. If you use fresh fruit, rinse the berries well just before making your strawberry puree. Remove the tops with a berry huller, a small paring knife, or by pinching out the tips (this works best on dead-ripe freshly picked berries).
Sugar:
You can use granulated white sugar or turbinado (raw) sugar in this recipe. Do not use sugar substitutes.
Lemon Juice:
You’ll want to use a good quality bottled lemon juice in this recipe. For canning, you should use bottled lemon instead of freshly squeezed (I know, I know) as the bottled stuff has standardized acidity so you know your canned goodies will be safe.
To Serve:
You’ll need to dilute the finished strawberry lemonade concentrate before serving. You can use plain or sparkling ice water, or try adding your flavored syrup to unsweetened iced tea, a glass of champagne or sparkling wine, or lemon-lime soda for a fun and fruity punch. Get creative with it!
Kitchen Equipment Needed
Blender:
You could also use a food processor or immersion blender, but I find that a regular blender does the best job of making a smooth strawberry puree.
Thermometer:
Unlike jams and jellies that are cooked at a full-boil before canning, we are going to pasteurize this high-acid juice concentrate before canning it. You’ll need a thermometer to make sure you reach 190 degrees F (88 deg C). This will make sure that your juice concentrate doesn’t spoil, but without the vigorous boil that could cause the pectin in the strawberries to thicken, and keeps the flavor as fresh and bright as possible.
You can use a variety of food-safe kitchen thermometers – use what you have in your kitchen already if you have it. A digital thermometer is the easiest to use, but you can also use a candy, cheese, or brewing thermometer, or a recently-calibrated dial meat thermometer.
Large Stockpot or Jam Pot:
You’ll need a large heavy bottomed pot that holds at least 3 quarts to pre-heat and pasteurize your strawberry lemonade concentrate before canning it in a boiling water bath.
Water Bath Canning Pot:
You need a large pot with a lid that will hold all of your jars with room for at least an inch of rapidly boiling water to cover the jars. You can stack the jars, but it’s best to use a jar rack or a perforated steamer insert separating between the layers so that the jars don’t jostle and break.
Canning funnel, jar tongs, and rack:
These tools are optional but make the job a lot easier and safer! Read more about these and our recommendations in our guide to canning equipment.
How to Make Strawberry Lemonade Concentrate
prep canner:
- Fill your canner or large pot with water, cover, and begin to heat.
- Wash the jars with warm soapy water and place them in the pot to preheat.
prep ingredients:
- Wash and hull berries.
- Measure lemon juice and set aside.
- Measure sugar into the large stockpot or jam pot.
blend strawberries:
- Blend the strawberries with about a cup of the lemon juice to make a very smooth puree.
- Pour the strawberry puree into the pot with the sugar.
- Using the remaining lemon juice, rinse any remaining strawberry puree from the blender and pour into the pot of lemonade mix.
combine and heat mixture:
- Stir the sugar, fruit, and lemon juice mixture until combined.
- Place the pot on medium-high heat, stirring frequently so that it doesn’t scorch and the sugar dissolves evenly.
- Using a thermometer to check, bring the temperature of the concentrate up to 190 F (88 C). DO NOT BOIL! Boiling will set the pectin in the fruit and make jelly, not a liquid.
fill canning jars with concentrate:
- Optional: strain the lemonade concentrate through a fine mesh sieve to remove seeds.
- Using a jar funnel and ladle, fill the preheated canning jars with the strawberry lemonade concentrate.
- Leave 1/4″ headspace at the top of the jars. Work quickly so that everything stays hot!
top with canning lids:
- Wipe the rims of the jars and top with new canning lids.
- Screw on the rings until they are snug but not overly tightened.
water-bath process the jars:
- Using jar tongs or a canning jar rack, carefully place the jars of hot strawberry concentrate into the boiling water bath canner.
- Once all the jars are in, cover the canner and wait for it to return to a full rolling boil. Top up the canner with additional hot or boiling water if the jar lids aren’t submerged by at least an inch.
- Start your processing timer only after the water has returned to a full boil. Process pints and half pints for 15 minutes (adjusting time upwards for altitudes above 1000 ft).
cool and store jars:
- When the time is up, turn off the heat and leave the jars undisturbed in the canner for 5 minutes.
- After 5 minutes, carefully use tongs or the jar rack to remove the jars from the water bath.
- Place the jars upright on a heat-resistant surface covered with a kitchen towel or wire rack. Do not tighten the lids (*unless you are using reusable lids, then follow manufacturer instructions).
- Leave the jars undisturbed for 12-24 hours, then check for seals.
- Any jars that did not seal can be reprocessed with new lids within 24 hours of the initial processing, or refrigerated or frozen and used first.
Pantry Storage Guidelines
Before storing, check the fully cooled jars to make sure that they sealed. Remove the canning rings, and wash the jars with warm water to remove any residue from jars that may have siphoned during processing (use dish soap if they are very sticky).
Label the jars of strawberry lemonade concentrate with the recipe name and the processing date. Store in a cool, dark place with the canning rings off. Discard any jars that lose their seals in storage, or show signs of spoilage like mold, off-smells, that are bubbling, or hiss and spurt when opened.
For best quality, flavor, and nutritional value, enjoy your home-canned goods within 12-18 months, although they will be safe to eat for much longer if the lid jar seals are intact.
Strawberry Lemonade Concentrate (water-bath canning or freezer recipe)
Equipment
- 1 blender or food processor
- glass pint canning jars, rings, and new lids
- heavy-bottomed jam or sauce pot
- kitchen thermometer (you can use a glass candy thermometer, calibrated dial-type, or digital)
- jar lifters or tongs or jar rack with handles
Ingredients
- 6 cups hulled strawberries
- 4 cups bottled lemon juice
- 6 cups granulated sugar
Instructions
- Fill boiling water bath canner or large stockpot with water. Wash and preheat jars in the canner. You can use pint, half-pint, or 4 oz jars to can this fruit concentrate. Do not use quart or larger jars.
- Wash, hull, and puree the strawberries, using a blender, food processor, or immersion blender. You may need to process them in batches if you have a smaller blender. Add about a cup of the lemon juice to the blender along with the strawberries so there is enough liquid to blend them smoothly.
- Add the strawberry puree to a large pot with a heavy bottom, along with the bottled lemon juice and sugar. Tip: Use the measured lemon juice to rinse any remaining strawberry puree from the blender. Stir to mix well.
- Heat to 190℉ over medium-high heat (88 ℃). You don't want the mixture to boil and develop pectin, which could cloud or overly thicken your syrup, but need to get it hot enough to be safe. Use a candy, dairy, or digital food thermometer to check!
- Remove the pot from the heat, skimming any foam if necessary (this is mostly cosmetic, not for food safety but if you don't some of the jars may have a thick foamy layer at the top).
- Fill your jars, using a jar funnel and ladle for best results. Leave 1/4" headspace at the top.
- Wipe down jar rims before adding new canning lids, then tightening the bands fingertip-tight. Place jars in the canner as they are filled to keep them hot.
- Make sure you have enough water in your canner to cover all the jars by at least one inch. Top up with more boiling water if needed. Cover the canner and bring up to a rolling boil before starting your processing timer for the water bath.
- Process pint jars (or smaller) for 15 minutes (adjust for altitudes above 1000 ft). Turn off heat and let jars rest in the canner for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack or towel-lined countertop to cool.
- Leave jars undisturbed for 12-24 hours. Check the lids for seals, remove bands, and wash the jars if they are sticky. Any jars that didn't seal can be reprocessed with new lids within 24 hours of processing, or put in the fridge or freezer to be used first.
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