Canning Cherry Limeade Concentrate

5 from 2 votes

Canning Cherry Limeade Concentrate

Cherry limeade concentrate is a delicious homemade drink concentrate that you can keep right on your pantry shelf for when you need it.

Prep Time10

Cook Time5

Additional Time10

Total Time25

Course: Drinks

Cuisine: American

Keyword: lemonade

Servings: servings, makes about 5 pints

Author: Ashley Adamant

Equipment

Water Bath Canner
Blender or immersion blender
Canning Funnel
Canning Jars, Lids and Bands

Ingredients

6 cups pitted cherries pureed
4 cups lime juice fresh or bottled
6 cups granulated sugar

Instructions

Prepare a water bath canner, jars, rings and lids before beginning. The canner should be pre-heated to around 180 degrees F (barely simmering) for hot pack.
Juice the limes and strain to remove any pulp and seeds.
Pit and puree the cherries. (You can use cherry juice in place of the puree if you'd rather not pit; the cherry flavor will be lighter.)
Mix the cherry puree, strained lime juice, and sugar in a saucepan.
Gently heat the mixture on the stove to around 190 degrees F, but do not boil.
Ladle the concentrate into prepared jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Seal with 2 part canning lids.
Process the jars in a water bath canner for 15 minutes, adjusting to the altitude (see notes).
Turn off the heat and leave the jars in the canner for an additional 5 minutes to cool slightly before removing them with a canning jar lifter to cool completely on a towel on the counter.
Wait 12 to 24 hours, then check seals. Store any unsealed jars in the refrigerator for immediate use. Properly canned and sealed jars may be stored in the pantry. Refrigerate after opening.

To reconstitute, mix 1 part concentrate with 3 parts water. For a 1 pint jar, you'd add 3 pints water. For simplicity, you can just add a pint to a half-gallon mason jar, which holds 4 pints, and then fill it up the rest of the way with cold water.

That should give you a "basic limeade" flavor that's strong, but not too strong. You can adjust to your own tastes.

Notes

Yield: When I make this recipe it yields about 5 pints, though it varies a little with how much puree you get from your cherries. Both the cherries and the lime juice are safe to can on their own, so the ratio is not fixed for safety. Lean toward more cherry or more lime to suit your taste, and raise or lower the sugar however you like, since the sugar is here for flavor rather than preservation.

Lime Juice: Fresh or bottled lime juice both work. Fresh juice, strained well, gives the fullest flavor, while bottled is convenient and has a steady acidity. Either way, use plain lime juice with nothing else added.

Straining: Straining is optional and only changes the texture of the finished drink. The canning time is the same whether the cherries go in as puree or strained juice, so leave the puree in for more body and flavor, or use cherry juice for a smoother, lighter limeade. Be sure to pit the cherries either way.

Reconstituting: One pint of concentrate makes a half gallon of cherry limeade. Mix 1 part concentrate with 3 parts cold water, or pour a pint into a half gallon mason jar and fill the rest with water, then serve over ice. Mix it stronger or weaker to taste, or stir it into sparkling water for a fizzy version.

Storage: Sealed, processed jars keep on the pantry shelf for up to a year. If you are not canning, the concentrate keeps in the refrigerator for a few weeks or in the freezer for up to 6 months. Leave 1 inch of headspace if you are freezing so it has room to expand, and refrigerate after opening.

Altitude Adjustments: Process half pints, pints, and quarts for 15 minutes below 1,000 feet. Between 1,000 and 6,000 feet, process for 20 minutes, and above 6,000 feet, process for 25 minutes. This follows the NCHFP fruit puree times, which are the same across all three jar sizes. Do not can this in half gallon jars, since quart is the largest size.

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