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 2 pints

Author: Ashley Adamant

Equipment

Water Bath Canner

Ingredients

2 cups lime juice fresh or bottled
2 cups sugar
2 cups cherry puree from pitted cherries

Instructions

First, sterilize your jars and lids. Prepare a water bath canner if canning.
Juice your limes, straining to remove any seeds or pulp. You're going to need about 2 cups of fresh lime juice.
Next, create your cherry puree. Wash and pit your cherries, then puree in a blender or food processor. If pureeing by hand, be sure to remove all clumps.
Mix your strained lime juice, cherry puree, and sugar in a saucepan. Heat slowly to 190°F, stirring to dissolve sugar. Do not boil the mixture.
Remove from heat and ladle the concentrate into prepared jars leaving adequate headspace. Cap with 2-part canning lids and process in a water bath canner for 15 minutes adjusting for elevation (see notes).
Carefully remove from the water bath canner and set on a towel to cool. Check seals after 12 to 24 hours. Unsealed jars should be allowed to cool to room temperature then moved to the refrigerator for immediate use.
To reconstitute, mix one pint jar with 6 cups (3 pints) of cold water.

Notes

A single pint will make half a gallon of prepared limeade. Mix 1 pint with 3 pints of cold water. I tend to add the pint to a half gallon mason jar and then fill the rest with water for easy measuring. Feel free to reconstitute stronger or weaker, based on your tastes.

Straining Fruit

Straining the fruit is optional in this recipe. This particular lemonade concentrate follows the same canning guidelines as for fruit puree's. That means that you can simply can straight cherry puree using these guidelines (even without the lime juice). Feel free to lower the lime juice if you'd like it to be a bit less lime-y (though I love it as is), and you can either strain the mixture or leave it chunky. Just make sure you pit the cherries and puree them if you're not straining the mixture.

Altitude Adjustments

Process for 15 minutes if below 1,000 feet elevation; 20 minutes if between 1,000 and 6,000; and 35 minutes for elevation above 6,000 feet.

Nutrition