Whole Strawberries in Vanilla Syrup Recipe

These preserved strawberries are a bit fussier than any normal slapdash approach to fruit, but they are well worth the effort. It’s particularly important that you give them time to rest after cooking, as this leads to the best finished texture. Spoon these strawberries into plain yogurt or eat them with pound cake or pancake.

Nutrients and Phytochemicals

One serving (100 g) of strawberries contains approximately 33 kilocalories, is an excellent source of vitamin C, a good source of manganese, and provides several other vitamins and dietary minerals in lesser amounts.

Strawberries contain a modest amount of essential unsaturated fatty acids in the achene (seed) oil. 

Few studies have directly examined the effects of eating strawberries on human health. However, limited research indicates that strawberry consumption may be associated with a decreased cardiovascular disease risk and that phytochemicals present in strawberries have anti-inflammatory or anticancer properties in laboratory studies. 

Garden strawberries contain the dimeric ellagitannin agrimoniin which is an isomer of sanguiin H-6. Other polyphenols present include flavonoids, such as anthocyanins, flavanols, flavonols and phenolic acids, such as hydroxybenzoic acid and hydroxycinnamic acid. 

Strawberries contain fisetin and possess higher levels of this flavonoid than other fruits. Although achenes comprise only about 1% of total fresh weight of a strawberry, they contribute 11% of the fruit's total polyphenols, which, in achenes, include ellagic acid, ellagic acid glycosides, and ellagitannins. 

MAKES 3 (HALF-PINT/250 ML) JARS


INGREDIENTS:

1 dry quart small, ripe strawberries (about 1½ pounds/680 g)
3½ cups/700 g granulated sugar
1 vanilla bean, split and scraped
¼ cup/60 ml freshly squeezed lemon juice


PREPARATION PROCEDURE:

1) Wash the berries and remove the stems and leaves. 

2) Place the berries in a medium bowl and cover them with the sugar. 

3) Add the vanilla seeds and bean and stir gently to combine. Cover the bowl and refrigerate it for 2 to 3 hours.

4) When the time is up, carefully pour the strawberries, vanilla bean, juices, and any remaining sugar into a shallow, wide pan. Add the lemon juice and slowly bring to a boil. 

5) Cook the berries at a boil for 10 to 12 minutes, until they go a bit translucent and their syrup is thick.

6) Pour the berries and syrup into a shallow bowl, cool, and refrigerate, uncovered, for a day, jiggling the bowl occasionally to help distribute the strawberries in the syrup.

7) When you’re ready to can, prepare a boiling water bath and 3 half-pint/250 ml jars according to the process on Easy Canning Basics for Beginners. 

8) Place 3 lids in a small saucepan of water and bring to a gentle simmer. Scrape the strawberry mixture into a medium pan and heat to a simmer. 

9) Ladle the berries into the prepared jars and cover with the syrup, leaving ½ inch/12 mm of headspace. Tap the jars gently to remove any air bubbles. 

10) Add more liquid to return the headspace to ½ inch/12 mm, if necessary. Wipe the rims, apply the lids and rings, and process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes.


Quick Tip: Because these berries need to sit uncovered in your fridge for a day, make sure that nothing with a particularly strong smell is sharing your refrigerator during the same 24-hour time period.


You should try this other tasty recipe next time, Blueberry Maple Jam Recipe- Blueberry Crack


Reference:

Get more mouth-watering and healthful recipes by purchasing this high quality book Now at a low-priced on Amazon.com,

McClellan Marisa. 2014. Preserving by the Pint: Quick Seasonal Canning for Small Spaces from the author of Food in Jars. Running Press, ISBN-10: 0762449683