Nothing says summer quite like strawberries.
Unfortunately, their growing season is super short.
Never fear!
With this really simple (and tasty) recipe, you can capture all of the gooey goodness of strawberries in a shelf-stable format. Enjoy them rain or shine!
While this recipe for canning strawberries whole is incredibly simple, it also requires a bit of planning. In fact, you’ll need at least six hours to get the job done.
Let’s get started.
How to Can Whole Strawberries Step-by-Step

Equipment Needed
- Paring knife
- Water bath canner
- Pint jars with lids and bands
- Jar lifter
- Slotted spoon
- Ladle
- Funnel (optional)
- Magnetic lid lifter (optional)
- Small saucepan
- Large stainless steel saucepan
Step 1: Select Your Strawberries
The ideal canning strawberry is large, ripe, juicy, and firm. Store-bought berries aren’t the best choice here, as they tend to be white, hollow, and dry.
Home-grown alpine berries aren’t ideal either, as they tend to be too tiny to handle canning. If you’re growing strawberries, choose varieties like Honeoye, Ozark Beauty, or Albion.
Examine every berry before you get started. Notice my batch of berries has some prime choices (on the right) and some not-ripe berries (on the left).
I sort carefully and set aside those that aren’t perfect. I can always can them another day.

Step 2: Prepare Your Strawberries
Your berries should be washed under warm water, but resist the urge to scrub them. Strawberries can be fragile, and a firm-bristle brush can scratch and scrape them.
I use my fingers and rub each berry under a stream of water.
When the berries are clean, use a sharp paring knife to cut straight down (as though you’re carving a pumpkin) and remove the green top and stem of each berry.
I’m still in culling mode in this step.
If I find any berries that are hollow on the inside or too mushy to wash, I set them aside for immediate snacking.

For reference, I have four cups of prepared berries at this stage. I can berries right from my garden as soon as they’re ripe, so my batches are very small. However, you can scale this recipe up to 16 cups of berries (if you have that many available).
Step 3: Sugar Your Strawberries
Place your prepared berries in a bowl and coat them with sugar. My small batch of four cups needs about a half-cup of sugar. If you’re canning 16 cups of berries, you’ll need two cups of sugar.
Your goal is to coat every berry with sugar. Stir them gently and ensure that each one has enough sugar to touch every surface.

Step 4: Chill Your Berries
Your berries will make their own syrup, but they need time to do so. Place your bowl of sugared berries someplace cool, and leave them there for five to six hours.
I used my refrigerator, but you could also use a cellar or basement for this step.
Step 5: Prepare Your Jars and Lids
I’m using pint jars for this recipe, as they hold enough for about two servings. (I would rather eat an entire jar at once, so I don’t have to store the rest in the refrigerator.)
I also use narrow-mouth jars, as the collar at the top keeps the berries from bumping against the lid.
Whether your jars are brand-new or reused, they should be sterilized before they’re filled. It’s very easy to do this, and you don’t need special equipment.
Simply place your clean jars in your canner, fill the whole thing with water, put the lid on, and heat until boiling. Keep the boil for five minutes, and then remove your jars. They’re clean and sterile—and your water is ready for canning.
Place your lids in a saucepan with water on very low heat while your jars are sterilizing. This step helps to activate the seal that keeps your berries in and air out. The lids don’t need to boil, but they’ll work better when you apply them warm.
For reference, I needed about two pint jars for my four cups of berries. If you use 16 cups of berries, you’ll need eight pint jars.
Step 6: Heat Your Strawberries
While your jars are getting ready in their water bath, place your sugared berries in a stainless steel pan and place the pan on a burner over medium-low heat.
Stir until the sugar melts and the strawberries are heated and releasing their juice. Typically, this takes about 10 minutes.

Step 7: Ladle Berries in Jars
When your berries are warm, use a slotted spoon to place them inside your jars. If you have a canning funnel, use this to keep sticky berries from hitting the top of your jars.
Your goal is to pack berries tightly inside the jars (so you won’t need too much syrup) but not so tightly that they’re crushed or bruised.
I like to pop berries in the jars and shake them from side to side to let the fruit settle. They tend to arrange themselves quite nicely without too much interference from me.
When your berries are packed, use your ladle to spoon syrup from the stainless steel pan over the top of the berries.
If you don’t have enough syrup for each jar (which is a common problem when you’re using store-bought berries), you can top off with boiling water.
Just ensure that every jar gets at least some of the syrup.

Use your shaking method to remove any trapped bits of air from the sides of your jar. If any bubbles remain, you can use something like a butter knife to push berries from the sides of the jars to release trapped air. This rarely happens to me, as the shaking tends to do the trick.
You should have a half-inch of headspace at the top of your jar. This breathing room ensures your berries don’t push too hard on the lids when they’re boiling inside the canner.
Step 8: Add Lids
Use a damp cloth (I use a paper towel) to wipe down the top of your jars and remove any residual sugar or berries. Leftover bits can keep your lids from sealing, so this is a critical step.
Use your lid lifter to pull lids from your warming saucepan. Place your lids on your jars, place your bands over the lids, and screw them down until they’re finger-tight.
Step 9: Start Canning
Place your jars inside your canner once again and ensure that the boiling water completely covers the lids.
You shouldn’t be able to touch or grab the top of the jars, as they’re totally underwater. Cover the canner and keep the jars at a full boil for 10 minutes, adjusting for altitude as needed.

After 10 minutes, remove the lid from the canner and turn off the heat. Leave the jars in place for 5 minutes more. This step (in theory) helps to ensure that your lids will seal.
Step 10: Remove Your Jars
Use your jar lifter to pull your canned berries from the canner. Do your best to keep them upright as you move them, and try not to jostle them around. You should start to hear them pop and snap as the lids seal.
Step 11: Label and Store Your Jars
When your jars are cool, run your finger over the lids. You shouldn’t feel the top bubble or pop under your fingers. (If this happens, the seal didn’t take. You’ll need to refrigerate that jar.)
Write today’s date and the contents of your jars on the top, and store your jars someplace cool and dark to prevent evaporation through the glass. I use my basement for this.

How Long Do Whole Water Canned Strawberries Last
The U.S. Department of Agriculture says home-canned goods like strawberries should be used within one year.
Before you eat anything you’ve canned, examine the lid for bulging or slipping. If you spot these signs, the berries aren’t safe to eat and should be tossed. (If you follow these instructions carefully, this shouldn’t happen!)
Ideas for Using Canned Strawberries
With several jars of shelf-stable strawberries, you’re set for a winter wonderland of healthy eating.
Here are some of the ways you can enjoy them:
- 1. Eat directly from the jar when you need to remember summertime.
- 2. Add berries to smoothies and shakes.
- 3. Spoon over yogurt, cottage cheese, or oatmeal.
- 4. Top waffles or pancakes with berries and their syrup.
- 5. Decorate cakes and cheesecakes with berries.
- 6. Spoon over kale and add sliced almonds for a tasty salad.
- 7. Serve alongside cheese and crackers for a colorful appetizer plate.
- 8. Place a few berries in a glass of cool water to flavor it.

Equipment
- 1 Ladle
- 1 Funnel Optional
- 1 Magnetic lid lifter Optional
Ingredients
- 16 Cups Fresh Strawberries (large, ripe, juicy, and firm)
- 2 Cups Sugar (adjust according to taste and quantity of strawberries)
Instructions
Prepare The Strawberries
- Select and wash strawberries, choosing large, ripe, and firm ones; avoid overripe or hollow berries.
- Hull strawberries by removing green tops and stems with a paring knife.
- Sugar the strawberries by placing them in a large bowl, sprinkling with sugar (about 1/8 cup per 2 cups of strawberries), and gently stirring to coat all berries.
- Chill the strawberries by covering the bowl and refrigerating for 5-6 hours to create natural syrup.
Can The Strawberries
- Sterilize jars and lids by placing jars in the water bath canner, covering with water, and boiling for 5 minutes; keep jars warm. Simmer lids in a saucepan of water over low heat; do not boil.
- Heat the strawberries by transferring the sugared berries and syrup to a large saucepan and heating over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes until the sugar dissolves.
- Fill jars by using a slotted spoon to pack warm strawberries into sterilized jars, leaving 1/2-inch headspace. Ladle hot syrup over berries, maintaining headspace; top off with boiling water if needed.
- Remove air bubbles by running a non-metallic utensil around the inside of jars and adjusting headspace if necessary.
- Clean jar rims and apply lids by wiping rims with a damp cloth to remove residue, placing warm lids on jars, and screwing bands on until fingertip-tight.
- Process in water bath by placing jars in the canner, ensuring they’re covered by at least 1 inch of water, bringing to a rolling boil, and processing for 10 minutes (adjust for altitude if necessary).
- Cool jars by turning off heat, letting jars sit in the canner for 5 minutes, removing jars with a jar lifter, and placing them upright on a towel to cool undisturbed for 12-24 hours.
- Check seals after cooling by pressing the center of lids; they should not flex. Refrigerate any unsealed jars and use promptly.
- Label and store jars with the date and contents, keeping them in a cool, dark place for up to one year.
Notes
- Strawberry Selection: Fresh, firm strawberries work best; avoid overripe or hollow ones.
- Sugar Adjustment: Adjust the sugar amount based on personal preference.
- Altitude Adjustment: Increase processing time according to local altitude guidelines.
