Make your own Strawberry Lemonade Concentrate!

Summer arrived with a vengence last week! We had temps over 100 and everyone, including the chickens, were begging for relief. So, we blew up the new pool (it's a yearly investment- we have a bet for how long before it's punctured..) and made lots of pink lemonade.  But the ingredients list on the can are a Mommy nightmare. High Fructose Corn Syrup? Mommy Guilt Alert! Danger, Danger...  I've been wanting to try this recipe for eons.  After our "Speed Strawberry Picking event", and the two bags of Organic Lemons on clearance at my local store were languishing on my fridge shelf, it seemed a perfect time to try something new.  This recipe is adapted from Ball's Complete Book of Home Preserving.

Strawberry Lemonade Concentrate
Makes @ 7 pint or 3 quart jars

8 Cups Hulled Strawberries
4 Cups Fresh Lemon Juice
6 Cups Organic Sugar

1). Prep your Canner, Jars and Lids.
2) Puree the strawberries. I would recommend an immersion blender. BEST GIFT EVER! Otherwise use a food processor or blender.  Place in a large stainless saucepan, add the lemon juice and sugar. Stir and  combine. Heat to 190 degrees over med-high heat, stirring continually.  Don't boil.  Turn off heat when temp is met.  The instructions say to skim off foam but I had very little so I just left it.
3) Ladle into hot jars, leaving 1/4 inch space, and screw tops on.
4) Process in water canner for 15 minutes. Remove lid and let sit for 5 minutes. Remove, cool and store.

The recipe calls for reconsituting on a 1 to 1 basis with either water, tonic water or gingerale! Yum!