Grankie's Strawberry Preserves

Ingredients

• 2 lbs fresh strawberries, washed and hulled but otherwise whole (consider using a straw to hull)
• 4 cups / 800 grams white sugar (or 2.5 cups / 500 grams fruit sugar)

To Prepare

1. Preheat oven to 225 degrees F (107 degrees C), wash 4 half-pint jars and place in oven.
   1. Wash lids, rings, and metal funnel. Cover with water in a saucepan and simmer (don't boil)
   2. In a large heavy-bottomed saucepan (to help prevent burning), mix together the strawberries and sugar. Stir over low heat until the sugar is dissolved.
   3. Increase heat to high in increments, and bring the mixture to a full rolling boil. Boil, stirring often, until the mixture reaches 210 degrees F (99 degrees C). About 10 minutes. Skim any foam that develops off the top as you go.
   4. Transfer to hot sterile jars, using the metal funnel, leaving ¼ to ½ inch headspace. Wipe away and spilled preserves from the rim with a damp cloth. Screw on lids (just until there's resistance; not too tightly). Make sure that you don't touch the inside of the jar or lid, otherwise mold will form while stored.
   5. If you wish to process in a water bath (to be absolutely certain that the lids seal), place jars in stockpot, cover with water, and boil for 10 minutes. Gray's note: I used to do this, but it was overkill. I find that the jars seal just fine without it.
2. Cool for 6-8 hours on a wire rack, temporarily remove rings to dry them (to prevent rust), then store.

Variations

• Add 2T lemon juice and 2T lemon zest