Monday, October 6, 2008

Like strawberry wine...

Did you know strawberries are a member of the rose family? The Romans revered the strawberry for medicinal qualities, hardly surprising considering the concentration of vitamin C, A, Potassium & Antioxidants. In the United States the annual per capita consumption of fresh and frozen strawberries is 4.85 pounds. Americans eat 3.4 pounds of fresh strawberries each year plus another 1.8 pounds frozen per capita...I don't know if we quite come up to those numbers here in Mexico but we are able to find fresh strawberries almost 365 days a year.
The most recent Fall kitchen caper yielded a vintage crop of preserves combining Cabernet Sauvignon & Fresh Strawberries~that's actually 2 ingredients high in antioxidants.

























Strawberry Cabernet Sauvignon Preserves
1 1/2 Quart firm, ripe strawberries, hulled & cleaned
1 tbsp. Apple Cider Vinegar
1/2 cup Cabernet Sauvignon wine
4 cups Mascobado or raw sugar
1 packet Sure Jell fruit pectin
4 half pint canning jars & lids, sterilized
Place strawberries & vinegar in large kettle or dutch oven. Bring to a medium boil for 5 minutes then add sugar & wine. Return to a low boil 15 to 20 minutes, stirring constantly. Strawberries will become clear & syrup will thicken. Skim off any foam, also adding 1 teaspoon of butter at this point into the pot will lessen any foam forming. Add Pectin, remove from heat, ladle into prepared jars filling within 1/8 inch of tops. Place in water bath, water must cover jars, process for 10 minutes in boiling water. Remove jars, cool & store.
Preserves are preserved fruits so they can contain whole or chunky pieces of preserved fruits.
Buen Provecho!

7 comments:

Nancy Durant said...

OMG! Wine, Strawberries AND a cup of sugar per jar?
SWEEEEET!

Dee said...

Oh yes! It also has a fabulous bouquet!! ha!

Hornsfan said...

must agree with nancy here -- you can't go wrong with wine, sugar and strawberries!

Pattie @ Olla-Podrida said...

Thanks for posting this recipe, Dee. I am definitely going to make this over the weekend. I love the jewel tone of the preserves and with wine...oh, Momma!

The Hungry Mouse said...

Oh wow, this looks great. If I can find some decent strawberries in Boston, I'll give it a try. :D

+Jessie
a.k.a. The Hungry Mouse

Chef E said...

I started getting into making stuff like this, although my lemoncello preserved lemons were a bit like moon shine! Ok, warning, you will see a lot of me, cause I like the music, you are so clever!

Kang said...

I love strawberries and this looks a great recipe, thanks so much for sharing, I will have to try this for myself now :P

kang @londoneater.com