Wow, that flat of berries didn’t last long! We used the first half flat (4 quarts) the first day, what with our traditional Strawberry Night and one batch of strawberry jam. The rest waited in the refrigerator to be gobbled. We had berries in one form or other every day … but at the end of the week, the last 2 quarts looked just a little tired. Berries not so perfect? Do what I did: when you make sauce, you don’t have to have perfect specimens. A little bruised, some overripe; just cut out any really bad spots, and stick the rest in the pot.
- 2 quarts fresh strawberries, hulled and halved or quartered
- 2/3 c unsweetened apple juice
- 1 1/2 c granulated sugar
- zest and juice of one orange
- 2/3 c corn syrup
- 1/2 Tbsp unsalted butter
Zest the orange with a fine grater or rasp. Put the apple juice, orange zest, and berries in a fairly large non-reactive pot (I used an 8 qt wide stainless steel soup pot, which was perfect) over medium-high heat, and bring to a gentle boil. As the fruit cooks and softens, you can mash it with a potato masher – but I used my immersion blender, which was easy, effective, and made a satisfying whiirrrr noise. Add the sugar, stirring until it is completely dissolved. Squeeze the juice from the orange right into the pot (don’t let any seeds get in there!) and add the corn syrup.
Bring to a full rolling boil over high heat, stirring constantly so the sauce won’t stick. Boil hard for 15 minutes. The mixture will thicken somewhat.
Ladle hot sauce into hot sterilized jars, and process in a water-bath as for jam.
Makes about 6 8-oz jars. I can’t wait to use this on cheesecake. Or waffles, pancakes, crepes, ice cream. As a dessert sauce with flourless chocolate cake. As a glaze in a fresh berry tart. With sparkling soda water, to make a strawberry soda. In fact, I’m going to make more of this soon.