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Strawberry Preserves

June 2, 2009

We've been buying preserves from Harry's Berries at the Hollywood Farmer's Market for years, but my husband always complains that there's too much sugar in them for him. Harry's consistently has the most incredible strawberries I have ever tasted, hands down, so my husband can't comprehend why they feel the need to use so much sugar in their preserves. I tasted several brands of strawberry jam and preserves from our local grocery and they too all had a really sugary aftertaste.

I love preserves that taste like pure strawberries with just a touch of added sweetness, so I decided to come up with my own recipe substituting agave for sugar. The real trick, though, to this recipe is using the best berries you can find, and no one beats Harry's (I've made preserves using berries from the grocery and they're also delicious. Just go with what you like)! Every morning we've been eating these vitamin C packed, gooey, chunky preserves. No matter whether you spread them on a rice cake with a little cream cheese, place a dollop on top of yogurt or a spoonful served on top of oatmeal or pancakes, it's pure heaven in every bite.

Strawberry Preserves  (makes 1 1/2 Cup)

  • Prep Time:5 minutes,
  • Cook Time: 60 minutes,
  • Total Time: 1 hours, 5 minutes,

Ingredients

  • 2 pints strawberries (about 5 cups), stemmed and halved
  • juice of 1 lemon
  • 1/4 cup honey or agave nectar

Preparation

  1. 1. Place all the ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil.
  2. 2. Reduce heat to medium/high and cook uncovered for 50-60 minutes, stirring occasionally until most of the liquid has evaporated (you want the preserves to have little chunks of strawberries).
  3. 3. Cool and serve.

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Comments






  1. Bernice

    December 30, 2012 at 8:47 pm

    Hi Catherine!
    Will this recipe work on other kinds of berries? Like, blueberries or raspberries? Thanks!

    • catherine

      January 2, 2013 at 10:57 am

      Yes! You can use this method for just about any fruit!

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  3. vannabellows

    July 23, 2012 at 9:16 am

    Would this work with blueberries?

  4. Canada

    June 26, 2012 at 6:47 pm

    can you use frozen berries? i have a ton in the freezer from last summer and need to get rid of them

    • catherine

      June 27, 2012 at 12:14 pm

      Yes! You can either thaw them in the fridge overnight or let them thaw in the saucepan over heat!

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  6. Maurine

    April 10, 2012 at 6:47 pm

    Just made these with the sweetest, tiny little locally grown strawberries and a cinnamon-infused honey from Temecula Valley Honey Company (both from the farmer’s market in Irvine today!) and it turned out AMAZING. The cinnamon honey makes for a great aroma. On a side note, I have a high output burner, so I had to turn mine down to about 3-4 for most of the 60 minutes, and stir frequently, scraping down the sides and bottom with a spoontula to prevent burning. Hope that helps anyone who has had problems with the burning!

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  9. Erika E.

    August 30, 2011 at 9:25 am

    Glad I came across this recipe. Do you have a video program for canning preserves or did I just miss the link? I’m a novice in the kitchen and my son is in a serious strawberry jam/preserve phase and would just like to make a big batch of this instead of buying ready made preserves.

  10. Bailey

    August 10, 2011 at 3:33 pm

    Could I substitute strawberries for Saskatoon berries?

  11. Charlotte

    July 6, 2011 at 9:59 am

    I added the zest of the lemon and used local strawberries that I picked myself. I had rave reviews at a recent brunch. Great and easy recipe!

  12. Erin

    June 3, 2011 at 10:43 am

    This looks so easy!! I hope it is! i can’t wait to try!!

  13. Brooke

    May 4, 2011 at 10:15 pm

    No need for pectin of any sort for freezing or canning?

  14. iggicat

    April 3, 2011 at 9:02 pm

    I just made my first batch using honey, but it seems a touch bitter.. is there a way to counter that? it’s still warm, so I’ll check again when it’s cooler. The strawberries I used were good.

  15. Kelly Clawson

    March 2, 2011 at 7:09 pm

    might need to make this when strawberries are on sale! we are going to be eating lots of pb & j’s for lunch coming up! they are quick and yummy! what other kind of strawberry sandwiches could i make?

  16. angelyn

    November 14, 2010 at 10:23 am

    How long will it last canned and refridgerated?

    • catherine

      November 15, 2010 at 1:22 pm

      Up to a month in the fridge or more but not sure about canned, I have not tested it that way.

  17. Alyssa

    September 28, 2010 at 8:27 pm

    Can you freeze this recipe or can?
    Does Trader’s sell agave? I have a whole foods, but it is a treck down to Irvine…..

    Thanks,

    Alyssa

    • catherine

      September 29, 2010 at 1:09 pm

      Yes Trader Jo’s sells agave and you can freeze this too :) You can also can it.

      • Erica

        October 5, 2010 at 4:26 pm

        If you just freeze it in regular tupperware, how long will it last?

        • catherine

          October 6, 2010 at 2:16 pm

          It would be good for up to 3 months in freezer :)

  18. Elizabeth

    August 27, 2010 at 9:39 am

    I have made this recipe with strawberries and they are DELICIOUS! I also just made them substituting fresh cherries and they are great this way too!

  19. Helen

    August 23, 2010 at 7:16 am

    First of all, I LOVE your website and you have amazing recipes!

    About this one, can we substitute pure maple syrup for agave?

    Thanks!

    • catherine

      August 23, 2010 at 3:50 pm

      Yes you can substitute it for honey! :)

  20. Tanya

    August 18, 2010 at 9:14 pm

    Just made these. My stove’s “medium/hot” must be really high – the preserves started burning on the bottom after only 20 minutes :( I saved the top part and they look pretty thick so I’m happy with the results and next time I’ll know better :)

    • catherine

      August 19, 2010 at 3:05 pm

      Every stove can be tricky, you to have to really play around with it to get the fire at a decent level. I’m glad you enjoyed it :)

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