Chamomile-Scented Strawberry Syrup

Chamomile-Scented Strawberry Syrup

3 half pint jars

4 pounds rinsed and hulled strawberries, crushed (about 8 C.)
2 C. sugar
2 chamomile tea bags
1/4 C. fresh lemon juice

Prepare for water-bath canning: Sterilize the jars and keep them hot in the canning pot, put a small plate in the freezer, and put the flat lids in a heatproof bowl. Put the strawberries in a wide, 6- to 8-quart preserving pan. Bring to a simmer, stirring frequently^, then continue to cook for 5 minutes. Working in batches if necessary, pour into a very-fine-mesh sieve or jelly bag set over a large bowl and stir the berries gently to drain off all the juice. Rinse the preserving pan and return the juice to the pan. (Reserve the strawberry pulp for another use; see this page.) Add the sugar, tea bags, and lemon juice and bring to a boil over high heat. Boil, stirring occasionally, until a small dab of the syrup spooned onto the chilled plate and returned to the freezer for a minute becomes somewhat firm (it will not gel), about 30 minutes. Skim off as much foam as you can and remove the tea bag. Ladle boiling water from the canning pot into the bowl with the lids. Using ajar lifter, remove the sterilized jars from the canning pot, carefully pouring the water from each one back into the pot, and place them upright on a folded towel. Drain the water off the jar lids. Ladle the hot syrup into the jars, leaving 1/2 inch headspace at the top. Use a damp paper towel to wipe the rims of the jars, then put a flat lid and ring on each jar, adjusting the ring so that it’s just finger-tight. Return the jars to the water in the canning pot, making sure the water covers the jars by at least 1 inch. Bring to a boil, and boil for 5 minutes to process. Remove the jars to a folded towel and do not disturb for 12 hours. After 1 hour, check that the lids have sealed by pressing down on the center of each; if it can be pushed down, it hasn’t sealed, and the jar should be refrigerated immediately. Label the sealed jars and store.

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