This sauce was so good that I was licking the pot clean after we put the sauce in jars. This sauce would be good on top of cheese cake or as a quick cake filler in between layers. It is sweet, chocolatey, and has an intense strawberry taste. We might find ourselves reheating a jar of this sauce in the middle of next winter for a quick fondue dessert. (Try out of the fridge with a spoon.)
From a canning perspective this sauce is very easy to make. I used my blender to “crush” the strawberries after the hulls were removed making this an easy chopping recipe. The jars are filled with just a 1/4″ head-space and a fast boil in the water bath with only 10 minutes makes this canning recipe really fast. You can easily get this recipe completed from start to finish in under and hour. The original recipe says that it makes 6 half pint jars, but I came up with 8 half pint jars when I made the recipe. Perhaps the strawberry substitution caused the increased number of jars. Either way I am not complaining because this sauce is fantastic.
Ingredients (makes 6-8 half pint jars)
- 1/2 cup sifted unsweetened dark cocoa powder
- 6 tablespoons powdered pectin (I like the no sugar needed one)
- 4 1/2 cups crushed ripe strawberries
- 6 3/4 cups granulated vanilla sugar
- 4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Directions
1. Boil water in boiling water bath. Simmer the lids in a small sauce pot with water. Do not boil the lids. Heat the jars in simmering water or wash them in the dishwasher with the heated dry on. Either way the jars need to be hot. Set the bands aside for later use.2. Mix the cocoa powder and pectin in a small bowl and set aside.
3. Mix the strawberries and lemon juice together in a sauce pot. Add the pectin mixture to the strawberry mixture while whisking the entire time. Heat the mixture until boiling. Stir frequently. Quickly add the sugar to the mixture and bring back to a boil while stirring frequently. Boil hard for 1 minute. Take the mixture off the heat and remove and bubbles.
4. Ladle the strawberry mixture into the hot sterile jars. Leave a 1/4″ head-space. Place the lid on the jar. Screw the band onto the jar until fingertip tight.
5. Process in a boiling water canner for 10 minutes. Remove the jars from the canner and allow them to cool completely for 24 hours. After 24 hours, check the seal. You should not be able to move the lid up and down when you press on the center. If you can move the lid up and down, then reprocess for another 10 minutes. If the jars are good, then label the jars and put them away.
Related articles
- We’re Jammin’ (clairescalling.wordpress.com)
- Fresh Strawberry Sauce Recipe (faithfulprovisions.com)
- How to Can Jam at Home (blogher.com)
- 5 Dessert Recipes with Strawberries (faithfulprovisions.com)
Suburbhomestead 
How good does that look? It is exactly what I feel like right now!
If it would last long enough to take a picture. Topping vanilla ice cream