One of our favorite outings is going fruit or vegetable picking. For those of you that are local, our favorite place is Larriland Farms, a pick-your-own farm in Woodbine, Maryland. We went last week and loaded up with strawberries. As we were picking, we were dreaming of all of the things we were going to make. Strawberry shortcake topped the list, of course. Olivia suggested strawberry sorbet, Oscar wanted a strawberry pie, and I wanted to make strawberry preserves. I love it when the children come up with these ideas and I try to make good on them. The more we fantasized, though, the more strawberries I realized that we would need.
It took us a while, with breaks for lemonade and the bathroom, but we managed to take in quite a haul. By the time we got home and refreshed with a much-needed dip in the pool, it was too late to make preserves (although I had already made a shortcake biscuit, so it was very easy to assemble a strawberry shortcake with those just-picked strawberries).
A few days later, we tackled the strawberry preserves. The most laborious part was hulling the strawberries, but I had a couple of helpers, at least for a little while. After that, it was just a question of cooking the strawberries until they thickened, with lots of stirring so that they didn't stick and caramelize in the pan. I made a large batch and had three pots going. For some reason, the amount of time it took to thicken was different for each. In the end, it seemed to me that the pan with the widest mouth worked the best, perhaps because the larger opening allowed the water to evaporate more quickly.
Preserves require a good bit of sugar to bring out the flavor of the strawberries, but I used much less than other recipes I have seen. I really enjoy the berries sweet with just a hint of tartness, much as you would get from eating a fresh strawberry. Olivia had the idea to make some of the preserves with lemon, which was an excellent variation for those who would like a tarter jam.
I had never tried real canning before-- that is, putting jam into a jar with an appropriate seal for long-term storage -- but thought I would give it a shot for these preserves. I was inspired by Polly Horvath's My One Hundred Adventures which had kept us all entertained on a long trip (although it touched on some themes that were more appropriate for 10-plus year olds at the end). My favorite part was the way that Jane's mother made jam to mark the passing of the summer, first strawberry, followed by blueberry, raspberry, and finally blackberry. What a lovely idea. I'm not promising to keep up, but this was a nice start.
Check this very helpful site to find a pick-your-own place near you, and for basic canning instructions. The United States Department of Agriculture also puts out very thorough canning guidelines, if you'd like more detail. If not done properly, botulism is a risk, although people have been canning successfully for centuries. If I just stop posting one day, you'll know it was the preserves.
I know that I have posted lots of strawberry recipes lately, but I just can't help myself since they are so delicious this time of year. And this is a great recipe if you picked more strawberries than you know what to do with. Not that I know anything about that. I promise not to post another strawberry recipe. . . at least not for a little while.
Strawberry Preserves
To make the strawberry-lemon preserve variation, add the zest of one lemon, an extra half cup of lemon juice, and a cup less of sugar.
Makes about 6 cups
20 minutes preparation time
approximately 30 minutes cooking time
7 pints strawberries, hulled
4 cups sugar
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
Put a couple of plates in the refrigerator to chill.
Gently mash the strawberries in a pot with the sugar. Bring to a simmer and stir until the sugar dissolves. Add the lemon juice and let the preserves simmer over medium heat, stirring frequently and skimming off the foam as it forms. Cook the strawberries until they thicken, at least 20 minutes. To make the process go faster, you can divide the preserves into two pots.
To test for doneness, put a teaspoon of jam on one of the chilled plates and return it to the refrigerator for one minute. After a minute, remove it and tilt the plate. Most of the preserves should remain in the center of the plate, while some of it -- especially the more liquid portion -- will slowly spread out towards the edge of the plate. When the preserves have firmed up to this extent, pour them into storage jars.
Oh Yay! Congratulations!
Posted by: Beth | June 30, 2009 at 07:57 AM