Canning Limeade (& Limeade Concentrate)

5 from 2 votes

Canning Limeade (& Limeade Concentrate)

Home-canned limeade is a delicious alternative to lemonade, and when properly water bath canned, it'll be ready at a moment's notice from your pantry shelf.

Prep Time10

Cook Time10

Additional Time10

Total Time30

Course: Drinks

Cuisine: American

Keyword: canning lemonade concentrate

Servings: Servings, see notes for jar amounts

Author: Ashley Adamant

Equipment

Water Bath Canner
Fine Mesh Strainer
Fine Grater or Microplane
Canning Funnel
Canning Jars, Lids and Bands

Ingredients

For Limeade Concentrate

1 cup lime juice
1 cup granulated sugar

For Ready-Made Limeade

1 cup lime juice
1 cup granulated sugar
6 cups water

Instructions

Prepare a water bath canner, jars, and lids before beginning.
Optional: zest the limes into the sugar, stir, and let sit about an hour for deeper lime flavor. The zest must be strained back out before canning, so dissolve the infused sugar into the lime juice and strain the mixture before filling jars. Use organic limes if using the zest.
Juice the limes. Strain the juice through a fine mesh sieve to remove all pulp and seeds, then measure.
Combine the strained lime juice and sugar in equal parts. For ready-made limeade, add the water now as well.
Warm the mixture gently on the stove, stirring until the sugar dissolves, until it reaches about 190 degrees F. Do not boil.
Strain again if needed so the mixture is a clear liquid with no solids, then ladle the hot (but not boiling) limeade into prepared jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Seal with two-part lids to fingertip tight.
Process half pints, pints, and quarts for 10 minutes below 1,000 feet in elevation, adjusting for altitude (see notes).
Turn off the heat and leave the jars in the canner 5 minutes, then remove and cool on a towel for 12 to 24 hours.
Check seals. Refrigerate any unsealed jars for immediate use. Store sealed jars in the pantry and refrigerate after opening.

Notes

Yield: This is a ratio recipe, so scale it to your lime supply using equal parts lime juice and sugar. A base batch of 1 cup lime juice and 1 cup sugar makes about 1 1/2 cups of concentrate, so 2 cups of each makes about 3 cups and 4 cups of each makes about 6 cups, or around 3 pints of concentrate. At 1 part concentrate to 3 parts water, each cup of lime juice reconstitutes into about 3 pints of limeade. For ready-made limeade, add 6 cups of water per cup of lime juice before canning, so 1 cup of each plus 6 cups of water fills about 4 pints, a slightly lighter mix you can adjust to taste.

Lime Juice: This recipe is written for fresh lime juice, which tastes cleaner than bottled and is acidic enough to can safely. Persian limes are large and juicy and the easiest to get enough juice from. Key limes are smaller and harder to juice in quantity, so a quality bottled key lime juice is a good option for that flavor. Either way, strain the juice well so no pulp or seeds go into the jars.

Adjusting the Recipe: You can adjust the sugar freely, since it is there for flavor and not for preservation, and lime takes well to a lighter hand with it. You can swap in honey or maple syrup if you like. Do not reduce the lime juice. You need a minimum of 1/4 cup of fresh lime juice per pint jar, 2 tablespoons per half pint, or 1/2 cup per quart, since the lime is what makes this safe to can. Everything must be strained to a clear liquid before canning, with no pulp, seeds, or zest left in.

Reconstituting: One pint of concentrate makes a half gallon of 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 cold water, then serve over ice. A half pint of concentrate makes about 2 pints. The ready-made version needs only a chill before pouring.

Storage: Sealed, processed jars keep on the pantry shelf. Refrigerate any jars that do not seal and use them first, and refrigerate after opening. This same recipe can also be frozen in freezer-safe jars; leave 1 inch of headspace so it has room to expand.

Altitude Adjustments: Process half pints, pints, and quarts for 10 minutes below 1,000 feet. Between 1,000 and 6,000 feet, process for 15 minutes, and above 6,000 feet, process for 20 minutes.

Nutrition