Canning Delicious Strawberries Step by Step

Canning Strawberries to store for winter without using freezer space. Learning how to can strawberries is a fun way to save them to use all year long!

canning strawberries featured image

Strawberries are coming into season in our area, with their ripe, juicy, sweet selves!

My family can’t seem to get enough of these tasty jewels, and they can usually eat them faster than I can cut or preserve them.  I have taken to canning some of the berries in secret just to have some for winter!  Learning how to can strawberries is a fun way to save them for all year long use!

Get the Berries Clean

First, you’ll want to swish your berries in a solution of 1 cup of white vinegar to 1 gallon of water. This will ensure that any mold spores are killed.  If you don’t can them, this is also a great way to get them to last longer in the fridge!

Then, you will cut the green parts off and slice in quarters.  I use a very sharp knife to slice the tops off, and I don’t worry a whole lot about losing some of the berries myself.  I had one of those fancy, dancy “hullers” but it was more trouble than it was worth to me.  Put the sliced berries in a large pot.  Don’t use a bowl, that’ll just create more dishes for you clean later.

cutting the strawberries

Toss the Berries with Sugar

You will use 1/2 cup sugar for each quart (pound) of strawberries.  You need this amount for preservation.  Trust me, I cut this amount in half one year, and they were TERRIBLE when I went to use them. Toss the berries until they are completely covered with the sugar.

strawberries sprinkled with sugar

Let it Rest

Let the sugared berries sit in a cool place for about 2 hours to make sure the sugar is dissolved.  This is a good time to get your canner, jars, and lids ready.

water bath canner

Bring to a Boil & Fill Jars

Gently bring your sugared berries to a boil, ensuring all the sugar is dissolved. Fill your clean, hot quart jars with the berries and syrup, adding boiling water if needed to fill to 1/4 inch headspace.

strawberries in jar

Water Bath Canning

Put your hot lid and band on, screwing on finger tight. Once the water is back to a rolling boil, set the timer for 10 minutes.  After 10 minutes, remove the jars and place in a non-drafty area for 24 hours.

When they are cool, check the seals and wipe the jars for storage.  As always, any jars that HASN’T sealed by this time should be put on the fridge and consumed within a week, or alternatively, reboiled and re-canned with a clean jar and new lid.

Your sweet canned strawberries will last in the pantry for up to a year!

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13 thoughts on “Canning Delicious Strawberries Step by Step”

  1. Great tutorial! I never knew you could can strawberries. Hopefully someday I will have enough to have extras. I usually eat them ALL 🙂

    -Heather

  2. I love this idea! I’ve only done strawberry jelly before, but I was put off by the crazy amount of sugar needed. When you halved the sugar, was the texture gross, or just the flavor?

    1. the flavor was totally gross…the berries were very bitter…maybe it’s just me?? I don’t like that much sugar, either, but…

  3. Kristi @Let This Mind Be in You

    Oh, yum! I pinned this post so I can remember to come back to it when we have a ton of strawberries to preserve. Did you know that you could save the tops that you cut off to make a strawberry syrup? I’ll do up a post about how to do that pretty soon–maybe if I am quick enough I can link up. Anyway–we use the syrup to mix into lemonade, or to flavor kombucha and it is SO great, and a great way to use strawberry tops up some more before they get to the compost pile! 🙂

    Thank you for linking up to
    From the Farm Blog Hop! We hope to see you again next week!

    ~Kristi@Let This Mind Be in You

    1. Kristi,

      I am a day or two away from buying more berries- any chance you have that syrup recipe handy?

      Cheers!

  4. Jennifer @1840 Farm

    Great tip about the vinegar bath. I couldn’t agree more about the huller. I much prefer using a sharp paring knife.

    Jennifer @1840Farm

  5. I am new at canning. I would like to do fresh strawberries. How long can they be kept in a cool, dark place and will they still be tasty?

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