Canning strawberries is an easy and versatile way to put up the berry harvest.
While strawberry jam may be tasty on toast, canning whole strawberries means you preserve the whole fruit for use in pies, toppings, tarts, and treats all year long.
Most people preserve strawberries by canning them as a strawberry jam, dehydrating strawberry slices, or freezing whole berries for more versatility. Living off the grid, our freezer space is limited, and shelf-stable food preservation methods are always preferred.
We can up a lot of strawberry jam in the summer months, and my favorite recipe is this low-sugar strawberry jam that’s just the right amount of sweetness to make the flavors really pop. I’ve also been experimenting with a no-sugar strawberry jam, and it comes out wonderfully if the fruit is sweet and flavorful from the start.
Beyond jam, a lot of our harvest goes into homemade strawberry wine that puts a smile on my face and spring in my step all year long.
And still, there are strawberries and more strawberries. Our everbearing strawberries are really prolific, and even with two little ones in the house, there are plenty more strawberries to preserve once we’re done with jam and wine.
I load up tray after tray of strawberry slices into the dehydrator, but still, I can’t keep up.
There are some times of the year where preserving strawberries seems like a full-time job, and that’s when canning strawberries whole in their own juice comes to the rescue.
How to Can Strawberries
Canning strawberries is simple and only takes two ingredients: cleaned, hulled whole strawberries and a bit of sugar.
The berries are dusted with sugar and then left to sit for about 6 hours to release their juice. This allows you to can the strawberries in their own juice, so the flavor isn’t washed out by canning water.
The best strawberries for canning are firm-fleshed berries, the same varieties that are rated as good for freezing. Keep in mind that very soft-fleshed fruits will disintegrate during the canning process, and you’ll end up with more of a strawberry compote than whole canned strawberries.
Once the strawberries have had time to release a bit of juice, prepare a water bath canner and canning jars. Wide-mouth pints or quarts tend to work best.
Bring the whole strawberries and strawberry juice to a simmer, trying to stir as little as possible so that you don’t break up the berries. Simmer the berries for about 1 minute so that they’re heated through, and then pack them tightly into canning jars leaving 1/2 inch headspace.
Pour the boiling strawberry juice over the top, still leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Remove air bubbles, adjust headspace and seal the jars with 2-part canning lids before processing in a water bath canner for 10 minutes for pints, 15 minutes for quarts. (Be sure to adjust canning times for altitude.)
The berries will shrink a bit during the canning process, so really work to get them in there if you don’t want half-filled jars.
How Many Strawberries Will Fit in a Canning Jar?
The size of the strawberries will affect the number of whole strawberries you can fit in a canning jar. It takes somewhere between 2 and 3 pounds of strawberries to fill a quart jar, or about 4 cups of whole strawberries, hulls removed.
Similarly, for wide-mouth pint mason jars, it takes 1 to 1 1/2 pounds of berries to fill a jar or about 2 cups prepared.
Canning Strawberries without Sugar
Just like any high-acid fruit, strawberries are perfectly safe to can without added sugar. The problem is, canning them directly in water means that sugar and flavor will leach into the water, washing out the flavor of the fruit.
If you want to can the strawberries directly in water, add about ¼ cup of water to a pot per 2 pounds of strawberries and bring it to a simmer. Cook the berries for a few minutes until they release ample juice, and then pack into canning jars. This extra cook time will also mean softer fruit, which may lose shape more than sugared berries.
Another option is to take a small portion of the strawberries and mash them in a pan, then simmer them to extract their juice. Pour the simmered strawberries through a jelly bag to filter out the solids, and then use this freshly made strawberry juice as a no sugar-added strawberry canning liquid.
This is the method I use for canning blackberries since they hold their shape best when not macerated in sugar.
Canning strawberry juice (without added strawberries) is also an option, and it’s delicious. Similarly, home-canned strawberry lemonade concentrate is one of my kids’ favorites. Both use extracted strawberry juice, so you can juice strawberries for your canning liquid in this recipe and then keep a bit extra for canning alone.
Maintaining Strawberry Quality During Canning
Strawberries are a soft fruit, and they will soften and discolor during long storage. If stored for more than a few months, canned strawberries will darken.
Quality and flavor are best with berries canned with some amount of sugar, but beyond that, you’ll have better berries in the long term if you add a bit of citric acid to the canning liquid.
While citric acid is not strictly necessary for safely canning strawberries, it will help them maintain color and flavor during storage. Add ¼ to ½ tsp citric acid per quart of fruit for the best quality after long storage.
Canning Strawberries
Canning whole strawberries keeps strawberries fresh and versatile all year round for your favorite recipes.
Ingredients
- 4 cups strawberries, washed & hulled
- 1/2 cup sugar (optional - see instructions for no sugar method)
- 1/4 to 1/2 tsp citric acid (optional)
Instructions
- Wash and hull the strawberries and place them in a large pot. Sprinkle sugar over the top and stir to distribute.
- Allow the strawberries to stand in the sugar to macerate for about 6 hours (covered).
- Prepare a water bath canner and canning jars.
- Place the strawberry pot on the stove and add citric acid (optional but helps to help protect quality during storage.) Bring the strawberries (and their juice) to a simmer and cook for about 1 minute until the berries are heated through.
- Pack the berries into canning jars and cover with strawberry juice liquid, leaving 1/2 inch headspace.
- Remove air bubbles, adjust headspace and seal with 2 part canning lids.
- Process in a water bath canner for 10 minutes (pints) or 15 minutes (quarts), adjusting canning times for altitude.
Notes
Note - Sugar is optional, and strawberries can be preserved in either plain water or juice instead. The flavor is much better with a small amount of sugar to balance the sugars that will be lost to the canning liquids. Feel free to reduce the sugar if you'd like, but I'd suggest a minimum of 1 tablespoon per pint.
Alternately, for very sweet dessert berries, the sugar can be increased to 3/4 cup or even 1 full cup per quart of berries.
How to Use Canned Strawberries
The main downside to canning strawberries as whole fruits is the loss of both color and texture. The berries tend to bleed their brilliant red juice into the surrounding liquid, and that liquid soaks up a bit of their flavor too.
The best way to use home-canned strawberries involves incorporating both juice and fruit into a single dish. Here are a few tasty ways to make use of your canned strawberries:
- Strawberry Pancake Topping ~ Start by straining fruit from the canning liquid and then cook the juice down on the stove into a rich strawberry syrup. Place the whole fruit on the pancakes and then drizzle the thickened strawberry syrup over the top.
- Strawberry Pie Filling ~ Similar to using them as pancake topping, strain the fruit into a pie dish and thicken the canning liquid with a bit of corn starch before pouring it over the top of the fruit in the dish.
- Strawberry Cheesecake Topping ~ The same process as making strawberry pie filling, but make the thickened pie filling in advance and then let it cool in the refrigerator before using it to top a cheesecake.
More Strawberry Preservation Recipes
- 30+ Ways to Can Strawberries ~ Jam, syrup and more…
- Strawberry Vinegar
- Strawberry Mead
- Wild Strawberry Jam
- Fermented Strawberry Soda
- Fermented Strawberries with Honey & Whey
Robert Sababady
Thrilled to have found your blog – Luv the way you articulate the difference between canning strawberries and making strawberry juice. Must admit that up until now, I had not come across a way of canning strawberries, so I was into making very strawberry jam that was cooked for the shortest period of time and added natural pectin to thicken the jam (I use raw apples or gooseberries as a source of natural pectin)
Have 20kgs of fresh strawberries from an organic farmer….. so there goes my weekend trying out this recipy!
Ashley Adamant
Nice! We pulled several of these jars out from last year to make strawberry rhubarb pie this spring and they were perfect. They actually held their shape remarkably well, even after a lot of time in the jar. They do lose color over time, but the flavor is still great.
Jamie
Ohh, so thankful to have found this.
We’re a large family and keep our freezers stocked with meat as best as possible. If I can can something to keep it on the shelf I sure try. I canned a bunch of jelly and strawberry lemonade concentrate but while they’re in season I want to preserve more.
Connie Hurd
Ashley,
Thank you for sharing all b your information on canning vale strawberries. We have a bumper crop this year and have no room in the freezer for any more strawberries! My cookbook tells me how to can other berries, but says in brackets “not strawberries”. I found your instructions and our 5 cups are now sitting in dust with a lid on the bowl. I appreciate you sharing your knowledge and experience.
Ashley Adamant
Wonderful Connie, I hope you enjoy them! Ours were great early this spring right when the rhubarb popped up, and they cooked up into a wonderful pie together.
Nathaniel Lee Chism
Could I add brandy to it to make like a brandy strawberry?
Ashley Adamant
Yes! Follow the instructions I give in this recipe for canning whole blackberries (I use brandy there).
Louis
A great explanation on preserving the wonderful and abundant strawberries. The point I had no idea about was point 7: Process in a water bath canner for 10 minutes (pints) or 15 minutes (quarts), adjusting canning times for altitude.
What does this water bath canner define? I can only imagine like a bain-marie where the jar is in a dish surrounded by boiling water. Not certain and any clarification would be appreciated. thanks again, Louis from Tasmania.
Ashley Adamant
That is a really good question, and it’s an American preservation term. I really do need to write a good introduction to water bath canning and what that entails, but I haven’t yet. For now, this basic overview from Ball Canning takes you through it: https://www.freshpreserving.com/water-bath-canning
Louis
Thanks for the link Ashley. One last Q, Extra “bands” can be tied together to cover the bottom of the pot??? I can only imagine the bands to be the rubber seals up there under the lid. Do enlighten me if you can. Cheers.
Ashley Adamant
There’s a good explanation of that homemade canning trivet here: https://www.healthycanning.com/improvised-canning-rack-bottom-trivet
Vikki
I used my steam juicer to extract the juice from some of the berries to use with the whole ones. Better colour retention and flavour . Thanks for the great recipe.
Ashley Adamant
We now use our steam juicer and love it. I used it to make blackcurrant jelly, cherry jelly, and all manner of wines too. Absolutely love mine!
Meredith
Thanks for your post. What variety of strawberries do you grow and how many plants do you have? I’d like to get more produce from my strawberry bed so I have more berries to play around with.
Administrator
Here is a post on growing strawberries from seed which has lots of resources for seeds. https://practicalselfreliance.com/growing-strawberries-from-seed/
Here is another post that talks about bareroot strawberries. https://practicalselfreliance.com/growing-everbearing-strawberries/ Between the two posts, you should be able to find what you’re looking for.
Virginia
I don’t know anything about names of strawberries. What strawberries can I use and where can I buy them to can your recipe in my jars. It sounds great. We love them but only know how to freeze them. Thanks Virginia
Administrator
You can use any strawberries that are available to you. You can grow your own, purchase them from the farmer’s market or a local farmer or you can even buy them at your local grocery store.
Ethel N.
Could you let the berries and sugar sit overnight in the fridge and can the next morning?
Administrator
Yes, that should work just fine.
Jen
I’m not sure where I went wrong with this recipe…. Used Quart jars, packed nearly to the top with strawberries, then liquid added to 1/2” headspace. Both of the jars released a ton of juice while in the water bath, and when I pulled them out, they overflowed even more onto my counters and floor. Checked the lids, the rubber seals were still there and fine. Sterilized the lids in very hot not boiling water. I also found the one minute simmer cooked them too much and made them soft. Any thoughts? I wonder if the berries could be put straight into jars after the first six hour sit, heating only the liquid and then adding that in before canning? The strawberries I’m left with are almost ghostly white now. Lost everything to the liquid that I unfortunately also lost. Thanks for any suggestions! I’m new to canning still and would hate to lose this much product again. 💔
Administrator
I’m so sorry that happened. It sounds like you may have had some siphoning. Here are a couple of things that can help with this issue in the future. Be sure to remove all of the air bubbles, allow the jars to cool completely in the canner before removing them and you may want to try tightening your lids a little bit more.
Richard
Can red food coloring be added to help retain the color of the berry’s?
Administrator
I guess you could do that but most of us choose to preserve our own food in order to stay away from those kinds of additives.
Sandra Cripps
I just came across your canning instructions but I already threw a gallon sized baggies in the freezer not knowing what I can do with this batch , is it too late to can them now that that have been frozen?
Administrator
The strawberries can still be canned but they will probably not hold their shape well after being frozen.
debbie brazil
will this work with frozen strawberries?
Administrator
You can try it with frozen berries but they may not hold their shape well after freezing. If that isn’t important to you then it should work just fine.
Jessica Luna
After boiling the strawberries and then filling my jars, what should I do if I don’t have enough juice? Just add water to finish to required head space
Administrator
I usually can everything up and then if the final jar isn’t full enough, I will just put it in the fridge for immediate use or freeze. You could add a little water but you want to be careful that you don’t dilute the flavor too much.
Lisa Sharpe
We love thosecold strawberry pies with gel and raw strawberries but not the baked pies as much. Just wondering–coukd pickle crisp help them hold their texture?
Administrator
I have only heard of it being used in pickled foods and I would imagine it would leave a bit of a salty taste in your strawberries.
Stephanie
Is it okay to use lemon juice instead of Citric acid?
Administrator
The citric acid is completely optional so you can either omit it or add lemon juice if you wish.