Summer Strawberry Lemonade Concentrate

Savor the vibrant taste of summer all year long with this incredible canning strawberry lemonade concentrate recipe. Imagine enjoying a pitcher of refreshing strawberry lemonade, made effortlessly from a single jar of your home-canned goodness, even when strawberries aren’t in season. This simple and rewarding recipe transforms abundant summer strawberries into a delightful concentrate, perfect for any occasion.

For those who cherish fresh produce, the strawberry season often brings an overwhelming bounty. These luscious berries are a joy to harvest, but their short shelf life means home preservers are constantly seeking creative and efficient ways to “put them up in a jar.” While classic recipes like strawberry jam and strawberry jelly are always popular, and even homemade strawberry wine offers a unique preservation method, the sheer volume of fruit sometimes calls for something different. This is where canning strawberry lemonade concentrate truly shines.

What makes this particular recipe for strawberry lemonade concentrate stand out is its clever approach to harnessing the full flavor of the fruit. Many might assume that canning a fruit-based concentrate would involve the tedious process of straining strawberry juice through a jelly bag. While canning strawberry juice has its merits, this concentrate recipe simplifies the entire procedure. Instead of juice, it utilizes pureed strawberries, offering a richer, more robust fruit flavor and saving significant time and effort in the kitchen.

This method ensures that every drop of strawberry goodness, including the pulp and fiber, makes its way into your concentrate. The result is a wonderfully thick and fruit-filled lemonade base that needs only water to transform into a refreshing beverage. This simplicity is a major advantage, especially during peak strawberry season when your time might be limited, but your harvest is abundant. It’s a fantastic solution for capturing that fresh berry taste without extensive labor.

The recipe itself is adapted from the trusted Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving, a revered resource for home canning recipes. Its reliability and ease of execution make it a favorite among experienced canners and beginners alike. All you need to do is hull your fresh strawberries and then either process them in a food processor or blender until smooth, or simply mash them thoroughly. This minimal prep means you can go from farm to pantry with less fuss, ensuring more of your precious harvest is preserved for later enjoyment.

Essential Ingredients for Strawberry Lemonade Concentrate

Creating this delicious DIY lemonade concentrate requires just a few simple ingredients, allowing the natural flavors of strawberry and lemon to truly shine. For a standard canner batch, you will need:

• 6 cups of fresh, hulled strawberries
• 4 cups of freshly squeezed lemon juice (this typically comes from 16 to 20 medium-sized lemons)
• 6 cups of granulated sugar

This quantity generally yields enough concentrate to fill 5 to 7 pint jars, depending on the exact fruit density. Each pint of this concentrated goodness will make a generous half-gallon pitcher of ready-to-drink strawberry lemonade. Simply mix one pint of your home-canned concentrate with three pints of water, serve over ice, and enjoy!

Crafting Your Homemade Strawberry Lemonade Concentrate

Once you’ve gathered your ingredients, the process for making this homemade strawberry lemonade concentrate is remarkably straightforward. Careful preparation will ensure a high-quality, flavorful result that you’ll be proud to share.

1. Prepare Your Lemons: Begin by juicing your fresh lemons. It’s essential to strain the lemon juice thoroughly to remove any pulp and seeds. While the strawberry portion of this concentrate will contain pulp, lemon pulp can introduce a bitter taste to the final drink, so it’s best to filter it out.
2. Prepare Your Strawberries: Hull the fresh strawberries by removing the green tops. Once hulled, puree them using a food processor or blender until smooth. If you don’t have these appliances, a good old-fashioned potato masher can work wonders – just ensure there are no large clumps remaining.
3. Combine and Heat: In a large, non-reactive saucepan, combine the pureed strawberry pulp, the strained lemon juice, and the granulated sugar. Gently heat this mixture over medium-low heat. The goal is to reach a temperature of approximately 190°F (about 88°C). Do not allow the mixture to come to a full boil. Stir continuously until all the sugar has completely dissolved, ensuring a smooth and consistent concentrate.

Water Bath Canning Your Strawberry Lemonade Concentrate

Water bath canning is a safe and effective method for preserving this high-acid strawberry lemonade concentrate. Because this recipe contains strawberry fruit puree rather than just clear juice, the processing time is slightly longer than what you might use for canning plain lemonade or fruit juices. Always follow tested recipes and guidelines for safe home canning practices.

Before you begin filling jars, ensure your water bath canner, canning jars, lids, and rings are properly prepared. Jars should be clean and kept hot (a simmering canner is ideal) to prevent thermal shock when filled with the hot concentrate. Lids should be prepared according to manufacturer instructions.

1. Fill Jars: Carefully ladle the hot (but not boiling) strawberry lemonade concentrate into your prepared canning jars, leaving 1/4 inch of headspace. Headspace is crucial for proper sealing and is the empty space between the food and the rim of the jar.
2. Remove Air Bubbles: Use a non-metallic utensil to remove any trapped air bubbles by gently running it around the inside of the jar. Adjust headspace if necessary.
3. Clean Rims and Seal: Wipe the jar rims clean with a damp cloth to ensure a good seal. Place the prepared lids on the jars and secure them with screw bands, tightening only finger-tight.
4. Process in Water Bath Canner: Carefully load the sealed jars into your preheated water bath canner, ensuring they are fully submerged in water by at least one inch. Bring the water to a rolling boil.
5. Processing Time: Process half-pint, pint, and quart jars for 15 minutes at elevations up to 1,000 feet.
6. Altitude Adjustments:
   • For elevations between 1,000 and 6,000 feet, increase processing time to 20 minutes.
   • For elevations above 6,000 feet, process for 25 minutes.
7. Cool Down: Once the processing time is complete, turn off the heat and allow the jars to remain in the canner for an additional 5 minutes. This helps prevent siphoning and aids in a more reliable seal.
8. Final Cooling: Carefully remove the jars from the canner using a jar lifter and place them on a clean towel on your countertop, spaced apart, to cool completely for 12 to 24 hours. Do not disturb them during this time.
9. Check Seals and Store: After cooling, check all jar seals. Lids should be concave and not flex when pressed. Any unsealed jars should be refrigerated and consumed within a few weeks. Properly sealed jars can be stored in a cool, dark pantry for up to a year. Refrigerate after opening.

This recipe aligns with the canning times recommended for “fruit purees” by the National Center for Home Food Preservation (NCHFP). It is important to note that half-gallon jars are not recommended for this recipe; quarts are the largest allowable size.

(Alternatively, this exact same recipe can be frozen in freezer-safe jars or containers, leaving appropriate headspace, if you prefer not to water bath can.)

Serving Your Canned Strawberry Lemonade

The true magic of canned strawberry lemonade is how quickly and easily you can transform it into a refreshing drink. The standard ratio for reconstituting your concentrate is 1 part concentrate to 3 parts water.

For example, if you’re using a 1-pint jar of concentrate, you would add 3 pints of cold water. A simple trick for effortless mixing is to pour the entire pint of concentrate into a half-gallon mason jar (which conveniently holds 4 pints), then fill the remaining space with cold water. This ensures perfect proportions every time.

This ratio will provide a balanced and flavorful lemonade that is potent enough to be satisfying but not overly sweet or tart. Feel free to adjust the amount of water to suit your personal taste preferences. For an extra special touch, consider adding sparkling water for a fizzy treat, or garnish with fresh mint leaves and a few slices of lemon or strawberry. This fruit preserve isn’t just a drink; it’s a versatile base for cocktails, mocktails, and more, offering a taste of summer any day of the year.

More Ways to Preserve Strawberries

If you find yourself with an abundance of strawberries and are looking for additional creative ways to preserve their delightful flavor, consider these other fantastic preserving strawberries recipes:

• Canning Strawberry Pie Filling
• Classic Strawberry Jelly
• Unique Pickled Strawberries
• Craft Your Own Strawberry Wine
• Sweet Canning Strawberry Syrup

Explore More Drink Canning Recipes

Beyond strawberry lemonade, the world of home canning recipes offers many options for convenient, homemade beverages and concentrates:

• Canning Pure Strawberry Juice
• Canning Refreshing Rhubarb Juice

Embracing home canning is a rewarding way to extend the enjoyment of seasonal fruits and vegetables, offering a sense of self-reliance and the satisfaction of knowing exactly what goes into your food. This canning strawberry lemonade concentrate recipe is a perfect example of how simple ingredients and a little effort can yield a delicious, long-lasting treat. Whether you’re looking to beat the summer heat or simply crave a taste of sunshine during colder months, this concentrate is a pantry staple that brings joy with every sip. Happy canning!