This post will teach you how to make strawberry syrup and can it in the fastest way to can out there- the steam canner.

Strawberry Syrup

Strawberry syrup is, of course, great on breakfast foods but it is very versatile in the beverage realm and after I read the suggestion for strawberry margaritas in “The All New Ball Book of Canning & Preserving” and I felt silly for not using the syrup that my kids love on Saturday morning in one of my favorite grown-up drinks.

I don’t strain with cheesecloth because I personally don’t care about things like tiny strawberry seeds and I am not interested in perfectly clear syrup. Feel free to strain of course as you wish.

To make the syrup, I will share my adaptation of the recipe from The All New Ball Book of Canning & Preserving.

Strawberry Syrup Canning Recipe

You will need

3 ½ pounds of strawberries, stems removed

3 cups of water

6 cups of sugar

½ cup bottled lemon juice (I really like lemon + strawberry, but if it isn’t your favorite flavor, you can safely use a ⅓ cup.

Have ready 5-pint jars, new lids, and rings.

You need a Victorio Steam Canner, which will come with the funnel AND jar lifter.

Prepare your countertop with a towel (on which you will rest the hot jars), funnel, and ladle. Have a large bowl or a second preserving pan and a small-holed colander or sieve set on top of the bowl ready to strain the strawberries from their juice. If you desire perfectly clear syrup, have 2 layers of cheesecloth at the ready as well.

Combine the strawberries and water in a preserving pan and bring to a simmer for about 20 minutes. Heat using the medium-low setting.

Pour carefully the strawberries and accumulated juice into the colander to drain. You can let it sit for up to two hours if you are patient and if you are me, you can use a spoon to gently encourage the berries to release more juice. You will get about 6 cups of juice as a result. The solids can be enjoyed with yogurt, or you can make delicious strawberry butter. I demonstrate how to make these two recipes at the same time in my canning course at www.startcanning.com.

Turn the steam canner on low.

Return the strawberry juice to the preserving pan and add the sugar and lemon juice. Stir to dissolve and heat to a full boil for a minute or two, stirring carefully.

Fill one jar at a time with the syrup, using the funnel and ladle, leaving a 1/4 inch headspace. Put on a new lid and ring and set on the steam canner rack. Repeat with remaining jars.

Put the lid on the steam canner and turn the heat up to medium-high. Start the timer when the dial indicates the steam canner is ready and process for 10 minutes at sea level, remembering to add 5 minutes for every 1000 feet you are canning above sea level.

When the time is up, turn the heat off and let the steam canner cool. USING GREAT CAUTION, use oven mitts to lift the steam canner lid AWAY from you and set it aside. When the jars are cooled significantly further, use either a jar lifter (required for water bath canning) or your fingers to lift the jars off the rack on the place on the towel covered countertop. Label sealed, cooled jars and store.

Just now learning about steam canning? Well it is the latest and GREATEST advancement in the canning world and it will make canning so much faster; the steam canner is ready to can in just 5 minutes instead of taking up to 30 or more minutes to come to a boil. 

Watch this YouTube Video where I’m sharing the main differences between steam canning and water bath canning!

Dive into the Steam Canning Workshop here!

This workshop will teach you how canning is WAY faster than you thought possible!

Canning is FAST, easy, and practical for modern, busy home and this course will teach you exactly how to use a steam canner to save you TIME and money.

You’ll learn how to COOK IN ADVANCE and preserve delicious, ready-to-eat, healthy foods QUICKLY in a steam canner.

In addition to learning you how to use this newly, USDA & National Center For Home Food Preservation approved steam canner, you will learn how to make and can a super special cranberry lemon jam that is gift-able, & perfect for beginners.

This lesson also demonstrates TWO different ways of processing for a super smooth jam.

Steam canners use just 2 1/2 quarts of water, as opposed to the 4+ quarts required for water bath canners.

This is a huge advantage for those canners who:

-Live in an RV or sailboat- store canned foods in a dark, cool spot!

-Suffer from an illness or disability that makes it difficult to lift over 10 pounds

-Used to be able to can but cannot due to surgery, health, or living conditions

-Are conserving energy- solar or propane users especially!

-Are canning below 7000 feet elevation

-Live in a small space- hello tiny houses!

Strawberry jam or carrot pickles (which are just a few of MANY quick recipes) would be DONE in under 20 minutes!

Steam canners are an affordable alternative to a water bath canning set up.

Steam canners are about $40, but you don’t have to purchase a separate trivet or wire rack, or a jar lifter… but the greatest savings is TIME.

Steam canners come to a boil in 5 minutes (you’ll see exactly how fast in the video!) and a big enamel canning pot comes to a boil after 30 minutes at LEAST…if not longer!

This course will teach a brand new beginner OR an experienced canner how to use this new time saver to add more wholesome, homemade foods to their diet in under half the time of a traditional water bath canner.

If you love strawberries, you’ll love my Canning Strawberries Recipe Book!

Enroll Now!