Summer is one of my favorite seasons. The long summer evenings. The abundance of fresh produce. And the fresh fruit berries! And to kick off the summer, I love to pick strawberries and make this delicious canned strawberry lemonade concentrate recipe!
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Strawberries typically come into season in May in the Midwest. They tend to catch me off guard as the kids are barely finishing up with school before strawberries arrive. But I love seeing strawberries in the fields as they signal the beginning of summer! One delicious way to make that exhilarating feel of the beginning of summer last is by preserving your strawberries in this delicious strawberry lemonade concentrate.
What is Strawberry Lemonade Concentrate?
Strawberry lemonade is a concentrated mixture of pureed strawberries and fresh lemon juice that you preserve by canning. When you are ready for a fun bubbly non-alcoholic drink you simply use 1/3 of the strawberry lemonade concentrate to 2/3 lemon-lime flavored soda.
Strawberry lemonade syrup recipe is a wonderful way to preserve your strawberries other than make jam or jellies.
Can You Use Store Bought Strawberries for Strawberry Concentrate?
Typically, I use fresh picked strawberries for the strawberry lemonade concentrate. But I have also used store bought strawberries too, as they are on sale at the beginning of summer.
So if you wish to take advantage of the abundance of strawberries at the grocery in May, then you will love preserving your strawberries into this yummy strawberry drink!
How Many Strawberries Do You Need to Make Strawberry Lemonade Concentrate?
This recipe calls for about 6 cups of strawberries that have been washed and tops trimmed off. So you’ll need around 7 cups of strawberries to start with to get 6 cups of berries after cutting off tops and trimming out any bad spots.
How Long Will Strawberry Concentrate Last?
After making the strawberry lemonade concentrate, you can preserve it by canning it in a water bath. So the shelf stable jars will last for at least a year. This way you can enjoy strawberry lemonade drink in the middle of winter!
Once you open the jars of strawberry lemonade concentrate preserve, I try to use it up within a week.
How Much Strawberry Lemonade Concentrate Does It Make?
This recipe makes about 5 pint jars worth of strawberry lemonade concentrate. Or you can make about 2 quarts jars. I prefer to make and can the strawberry lemonade concentrate in pint jars as I only use it to make individual glasses. And each pint makes about 4-5 glasses of strawberry lemonade bubbly drink.
But if you think you will want to serve it at parties, then you may use quart jars for canning.
How Much Water Do You Add to Strawberry Lemonade Concentrate?
As mentioned above, I typically add lemon lime soda or lime or fruit flavored sparkling water. The strawberry lemonade fizzes and makes a delightful bubbly drink with no alcohol and no caffeine.
I have seen some recipes where they simply add water. You can do this as well, though I think the strawberry lemonade is more fun with a little fizz!
How to Make Strawberry Lemonade Concentrate
Strawberry lemonade concentrate only has three ingredients and a few steps! And strawberry lemonade does not need any pectin to preserve. So there is not need for any special ingredients like Sure Jell.
WATCH VIDEO to see me make strawberry lemonade concentrate here!
Here are the ingredients and tools for strawberry lemonade concentrate:
- strawberries
- lemons and/or real bottled lemon juice
- granulated sugar
- food processor or blender
- big pot or pressure canner
- pint sixed canning jars
- regular new canning lids and rings
- lemon juicer
- strawberry huller or small knife
- canning jar lifter
Step 1
Wash about 7 cups of strawberries and trim off top to get around 6 cups of strawberries. Puree strawberries in food processor or blender. This is my absolute favorite Ninja blender/ food processor combination (the bigger motor makes a huge difference)!
You can also use this cute strawberry huller to trip the tops.
Step 2
Squeeze lemons to get 4 cups of lemon juice. Lemons typically squeeze better when they are room temperature! I use a lemon squeezer like this small citrus juicer as it catches the seeds AND it measures the juice!
You can also use a combination of fresh squeezed and bottled lemon juice to make 4 cups.
Step 3
Combine fresh pureed strawberries and lemon juice in a large saucepan or pot. Add in 4 cups of granulated sugar. Stir till warm and sugar dissolved. But don’t allow mixture to boil. Mixture should be around 190 degrees.
Ladle strawberry lemonade mixture into clean pints jars. Wipe down tops of ball type pint jars to remove any berry concentrate. Add a fresh canning lid and seal with a canning ring.
Step 4
Fill a large pot or pressure canner half way with water. Add the 5 pints of strawberry lemonade concentrate. Add more water til jars are covered by an inch of water.
Heat water til it is simmering or there is a soft or slow boil. Maintain this heat for about 15 minutes. Turn off heat. Remove jars with your jar lifter out of the hot water and place on towel on counter to cool.
PIN for LATER!
Display your beautiful red jars of strawberry lemonade concentrate. And enjoy later during a hot summer day or a blah January day when you need a taste of summer!
Strawberry Lemonade Concentrate
Equipment
- Pressure Canner or Large Pot
- Blender or food processor
- Lemon juicer
- 5 Cleaned pint jars
- 5 Cleaned rings and new canning lids
Ingredients
- 6 cups strawberries tops trimmed off
- 4 cups lemon juice can use fresh and bottled
- 4 cups granulated sugar
Instructions
- Wash and trim your strawberries to get 6 cups of berries.
- Puree strawberries in a food processor or blender.
- Add pureed strawberries, lemon juice, and sugar into a large pot on stovetop.
- Stir strawberry mixture over medium heat, simmering it until it reaches 190 degrees. Don't boil strawberry mixture.
- Ladle hot strawberry lemonade concentrate into clean pint jars.
- Wipe down pint jar. Add canning lid and rings to close jars.
- Place pressure canner or large pot on stovetop. Fill half way with water. Add filled canning jars. Add more water till water covers jars by an inch.
- Bring water bath to a slow boil or simmer. Process for 15 minutes.
- Remove canning jars from water bath. Place on towel on counter. Jars should seal. If a jar does not seal, you can either reprocess it or simply put in fridge and use within the next week.
- When ready to serve, add a third of strawberry concentrate of mixture over ice. Add lemon lime soda. Enjoy!!
