I love making my own concentrates and drinks such as my homemade cherry limeade, my spiced cranberry apple cider and my homemade spiced pumpkin latte. Today, I am sharing how to enjoy the taste of fresh strawberry lemonade, any time of the year from the comfort of your own home. I do this by canning strawberry lemonade concentrate and pull it out of the pantry anytime I want some.
Ingredients:
- 7 c. fresh sliced strawberries
- 7 c. sugar
- 5 c. lemon juice
This recipe will make roughly 3 quarts (or 6 pints) of strawberry lemonade concentrate. This recipe can be halved or doubled if you prefer. For this recipe, I used store-bought 100% lemon juice but you can fresh squeeze some lemons too if you prefer but it will take a lot of lemons so I find it just easier and more cost effective and less labor intensive to use the bottled variety.
First, you will need to sterilize your canning jars, bands and lids.
Next, you will need to prepare your strawberries. Wash and slice the strawberries and then put them into your blender and blend them up. Once they are pureed, pour them into a large pot. Stir in the sugar and the lemon juice. Turn your stove onto high and heat up the mixture until it reaches 190 degrees (F). Stir occasionally as it heats up. Once it is at the desired temperature, remove it from heat.
Pour this mixture into your prepared, hot canning jars. Be sure to leave ¼” head space in each jar. Wipe the rims and then place on the lids and the rings. Place the jars into a boiling water canner and process for 15 minutes.
After 15 minutes, carefully remove the jars and allow them to cool. Once they are cooled and the lids have “pinged”, remove the rings and place your jars in a cool area. They can be stored for up to 1 year this way.
To use the concentrate and make 2 quarts of strawberry lemonade, use 8 cups of concentrate and stir in 8 cups of water, ginger ale, or even club soda. Stir well and enjoy.
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