Strawberry Ice Cream Topping

In my corner of the world, summer is slowly giving way to autumn. Leaves are beginning to fall from the trees, apples and pears and creeping into supermarkets in a wide range of seasonally available varieties… and summer berries are making their final appearance for many months. Hurry! Grab a few quarts of strawberries before they’re gone, and preserve them to enjoy throughout the winter. This recipe for Strawberry Ice Cream Topping is simple. When you taste this spooned over a scoop of vanilla ice cream in January, you’ll be glad you took an hour or so right now to plan ahead!

Be sure to read Crowded Earth Kitchen’s safe canning guidelines before you begin! If you have freezer space, you could freeze your ice cream topping in small containers instead.

Ingredients (Makes 6 pints or 12 half-pints)

12 cups strawberries (cut in half if berries are large)

6 cups sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

4 pectin cubes or 4 ounces of liquid pectin

Directions

Step 1) Bring strawberries, sugar, cinnamon, and black pepper to a boil in a large pot, stirring frequently.

Step 2) Add pectin and stir constantly over medium heat for five minutes. Ice cream topping will not “set” like jam, but will thicken to a lovely rich consistency.

Step 3) Ladle mixture into sterilized jars, top with seals and bands, and process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes. Enjoy!