How to Can Strawberry Lemonade Concentrate

Canning season starts with strawberries in my family. It’s one of the first fruits to produce in our area, and while our strawberry bed doesn’t grow enough yet for our family, I take advantage of local sales and farms. This year, one of the biggest hits in my family is strawberry lemonade concentrate, a delicious, summer drink that my kids love.

I found a great sale on strawberries at Costco recently. Local farms have yet to put up their u-pick strawberry deals (always a fun time with kids!), so I grabbed a bunch to refill our empty jam stash and test drive some new recipes.

One thing my family LOVES is a good, sweet drink. I saw so many canning concentrate recipes over the internet in recent years, and I had to jump on the trend. I plan to add several to my pantry this year. It’s an easy canning recipe that uses only THREE ingredients, perfect for new canners and those looking to reduce ingredients in their kitchen.

Related: 24 Canning Recipes for Strawberries You’ll Love This Spring

How to Make Strawberry Lemonade Concentrate

The first step is to hull and roughly chop the strawberries. Since these will be placed in a blender, don’t be too concerned with the size. It’s a fantastic job for kids working on their chopping skills. My daughter had a great time helping me.

A recipe I used called for six cups of strawberries, but I found that only produced 5-6 pints of strawberry lemonade. When canning, I prefer to get as close to 8 pints as possible. So, I suggest aiming for close to 8 cups of blended strawberries.

Next, place all the strawberries in a blender and blend until the chunks are gone. I found the medium setting on my blender worked perfectly. After blending, put the strawberries into a pot with the lemonade and sugar. Six cups of sugar may seem like quite a bit, BUT four cups of straight lemon juice is quite tart. Remember, this will be reconstituted with water and not drunk straight out of the canning jar.

Next, allow the concentrate to cook on the stove at medium-high heat. The goal is not to boil the mixture, but to bring it close. Stir frequently to avoid any burning. If you prefer, skim the foam off the top. That’s a personal preference; I noticed seeds float to the top, and it’s easy to remove some of them by skimming the foam. Once you see some bubbles beginning to form, remove it from the heat.

Pour the strawberry lemonade concentrate into heated, clean pint jars. Your jars should have been preheated before use to avoid breakage. My EasyCanner by Ball does that for me, but another option is to fill the jars with hot water before canning or keep them in a sink full of hot water.

Leave 1/4 inch headspace when pouring in the concentrate. Wipe the rims clean and place lids on fingertip tight. Place into a water bath canner and process for 15 minutes. Remember, start the timer when the water comes to a rolling boil, NOT when you place the jars into the canner. It often needs a few moments to reach a boil.

Remove from the canner and allow to rest on your countertops for 12-24 hours before labeling and storing! When you’re ready to use (my kids did almost immediately), pour a pint of concentrate into a pitcher and add 3-4 more pints of water, depending on your taste buds.