Whole Strawberry Preserves

Hull the strawberries and leave whole. Place the berries in a large shallow dish and cover with 3 ½ cups of the sugar. Toss to coat and set aside, stirring occasionally, for 2–3 hours or until the sugar starts to dissolve in the strawberry juices. Place the berries in a colander over a large heavy based saucepan, allowing all the juice to drain into the pot. Leave the berries in the colander over a bowl and set aside.

Add the remaining 3 cups of sugar to the pot and bring to the boil, stirring constantly until dissolved. Add the berries and any further juice to the pot and simmer for 12 minutes.

Take off the heat and stir through the lemon juice. Transfer the berries to a large shallow dish and allow to cool. Cover and leave overnight. The next day return the strawberries to a large pot, bring to the boil and simmer until it reaches setting point at 112°C. This could take
between 10-20 minutes.

When ready, ladle into sterilized jars, cool and cover. Store the preserves in the fridge for 2–3 months. Makes about 4 cups