We love a good old peanut butter and jelly sandwich in our house, and sometimes we’ll swirl Homemade Strawberry Preserves into our greek yogurt or ice cream. It is so easy to make at home, and you control the amount of sweetener that goes into the final product.
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.
Photo by Maren Caruso
Strawberry Preserves
Ingredients
- 2 Pints Strawberries (about 5 cups), stemmed and halved
- juice of 1 lemon
- 1/4 Cup honey or agave nectar
Instructions
- Place all the ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered for 50-60 minutes, stirring occasionally until most of the liquid has evaporated (you want the preserves to have little chunks of strawberries).
- Cool and serve.
Thanks for updating it. I tried it with the correct temperatures and we were very happy with this recipe!
I just tried this for the first time and it is a scorched mess. I followed the directions on here that say to cook it on med-hi for an hour. I thought that sounded odd, but trusted the recipe. After wasting a ton of organic strawberries, I double checked your Lunches cookbook and it says to simmer over low for an hour. Much more sense… what a waste!
I just tried making this with cherries, and it didn’t really turn out like the strawberry preserves. I did cut them in half because I don’t have a cherry pitter, maybe that’s what I did wrong?
Hello Catherine!:)
Love this recipe!!turned out SUPER!!
Can this stay on the countertops for a few days or does it have to go straight to the fridge? I’m planning to give it as a gift 🙂
Can I make this with apples? Tanks!
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Yes! You can use this method for just about any fruit!
Hi Catherine!
Will this recipe work on other kinds of berries? Like, blueberries or raspberries? Thanks!
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Would this work with blueberries?
Yes! You can either thaw them in the fridge overnight or let them thaw in the saucepan over heat!
can you use frozen berries? i have a ton in the freezer from last summer and need to get rid of them
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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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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.
Could I substitute strawberries for Saskatoon berries?
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!
This looks so easy!! I hope it is! i can’t wait to try!!
No need for pectin of any sort for freezing or canning?
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.
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?
Up to a month in the fridge or more but not sure about canned, I have not tested it that way.
How long will it last canned and refridgerated?
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