Sun Cooked Strawberry Preserves Food

SUNSHINE STRAWBERRY JAM

Steps:

• Hull, wash and drain the strawberries. Place 1/4 of the berries and 1/4 of the sugar in a large pot, and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the sugar dissolves. Add remaining berries, sugar and the lemon juice and bring to a boil, stirring frequently so that the sugar does not burn. Cook at a rolling boil for 12 minutes, remove from the heat and skim carefully. Pour juice and berries in a single layer into shallow pans, cover each with a pane of glass and insert a small paper wedge under the glass on each pan to allow air to circulate. Stand pans in the sun for 3 days, or until liquid thickens. Stir twice daily. Pour into hot, sterilized jelly glasses and cover with a thin layer of melted paraffin. When the paraffin has hardened, cover the glasses and store. (If you do not have 3 consecutive days of hot sun, the juices will take longer to thicken but the end result will be the same.)

SUN-COOKED STRAWBERRY PRESERVES

Steps:

• Watch the weather: sun-cooking requires two or three full days of sunshine and temperatures above 80 degrees. Trim stems or leaves off berries and taste; if they are very sweet, use smaller amount of sugar. Toss berries and sugar in a glass or ceramic bowl. Let sit for at least 6 hours or overnight. Stir occasionally to distribute sugar as it dissolves.
• Transfer berries to a nonstick or stainless steel pot and add lemon juice. Gradually bring mixture to a boil, then immediately reduce to a high simmer and cook for 5 minutes. Pour into a large stainless steel or plastic tray (or several, depending on size) into a layer 1 to 1 1/2 inches deep.
• Set in direct sun and cover with netting or cheesecloth to keep bugs out and to allow evaporation. Stir gently every few hours. Leave out all day, or at least eight hours; bring indoors (or cover securely) at dusk, set out again in the morning.
• Watch for syrup under berries to thicken. Depending on weather, this will take two to four days. Mixture may bubble as it heats, but if it starts to foam, can it immediately and use as syrup. (Foam indicates the beginning of fermentation; syrup will still be safe and delicious.) If weather changes, or if mixture does not seem to be cooking, proceed with slow-cooking, below.
• When all syrup thickens, pour it and fruit into a pot and gently bring to a boil. Pour into sterilized glass jars; tighten lids. Place jars in a deep pot with water to cover. Boil jars for 10 minutes, then remove from pot with jar lifter or tongs. Let cool on counter, untouched, 4 to 6 hours. After 12 to 24 hours, check seals: lift each jar up by the lid, and press the lid to make sure the center is sucked down tight. Store in a dry dark place for up to one year. Refrigerate after opening.

STRAWBERRY PRESERVES

Steps:

• Put strawberries and lemon juice in a large saucepan. Cook, stirring occasionally, over low heat until juices are released, about 40 minutes. Stir in sugar.
• Bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture registers 210 degrees on a candy thermometer, about 15 minutes. Let cool completely; skim foam from surface with a spoon.

STRAWBERRY PRESERVES I

Steps:

• In a stockpot, combine the strawberries, sugar, vinegar and salt. Bring to a rolling boil, and cook stirring frequently for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the temperature of the mixture has reached 220 degrees F (105 degrees C).
• Transfer the mixture to hot sterile jars, leaving 1/2 inch headspace, and seal. Process jars for 10 minutes in a water bath. Refrigerate jam once the seal is broken.

EDNA LEWIS'S GARDEN STRAWBERRY PRESERVES

Steps:

• Set 5 5-ounce sterilized jars and lids, or 3 1/2-pint jars in a pan of water over a low burner.
• Wash berries in a bowl of cold water to make sure they are free of grit and dust. Remove berries by hand, and place them on a clean, dry towel to drain. Then remove the caps and crush berries slightly with a clean, odorless, wooden pestle or a strong coffee mug. Pour into a nonaluminum saucepan, and set over a low flame to heat.
• Meanwhile, heat the sugar either in a double boiler or in a dish in the oven, being careful not to brown it, but making sure it becomes very hot (about 10 minutes at 350). Now pour the hot sugar over the berries, turning the burner up while stirring the sugar around. The cooking should be as brisk as possible without scorching; it should take about 9 minutes in all.
• As soon as the preserves begin to boil up, a scum will rise on the surface; skim it off right away with a wooden or silver spoon. It is much better to skim while it's rapidly boiling, because that seems to cause the scum to remain in a mass, and it's easy to dip it out without getting too much of the syrup.
• After 9 minutes of rapid cooking, pour the preserves into the hot jars, filling to about 1/8 inch from the top. Lift the jars out onto a dry surface to cool. When cold, carefully melt paraffin and pour into the filled jars. When paraffin is cool, put on the lids and seal.