Strawberry Preserves, Part II

You may remember my "back in the day" post from last year making strawberry preserves. This recipe is very similar, except this time, it was done in the Smoky Mountains... at Nany's Cabin!... and the combination of those two factors alone make these the best strawberry preserves you'll ever put in your mouth!

Let me apologize for the lighting in some of this pictures. Most were shot at night! We made two different batches with two different methods:

The first method was with this bad boy! This is a grinder... an old timey grinder to be exact. Nany said this was her mother's who had given it to her, and her grandfather had given it to her mother before that, so we're estimating this grinder has been in the family since the early 1900's. Information like that amazes me... especially in a world where nothing lasts, and we're always looking for the next best thing. And let me tell you, this thing still gets the job done!

This grinder was solid iron... no repair needed... even after almost a century.

I wish you could smell this bowl right now.

The other method was the smashing method. Dice your strawberries, and in a pot, coat them with sugar, and as they begin to soften and liquify, begin to smash them until you reach the desired consistency thats right for you. Either way you go, bring to a boil, and as white foam comes to the top, scrape the surface with a spoon to remove the foam.

Also, the amount of sugar you use also depends on how sweet your strawberries are. If they're very sweet, use a little less sugar.

These are delicious. I've been fighting back the urge to eat them on everything. I hope you like it!

Strawberry Preserves

10 cups strawberries, diced or ground
10 cups of sugar

Hull, and dice (or grind) your strawberries
In a pot, mix in equal amounts of sugar and bring to a boil.

If you diced your strawberries, smash them as they soften by the heat.

Continue to boil until you reach the desired thickness you want, skimming the white foam off of the surface as you go.

Spoon into sterilized jars, seal, and let rest overnight.