This is more of a Harvest question, but strawberries are pretty acidic - basically you're making a low-sugar jam, or thick strawberry sauce. I don't imagine you're cooking it down very much, you lose the fresh berry flavor the more you cook it.

Can you give the recipe you're thinking of? Sugar does help preserve the color, and bind some of the water, so you'd want to use *some* otherwise you're going to have brown mush after a while - may be good for apple butter but I'd think you'd want strawberries to stay a little red ;-) Lemon juice will help too, but I can't say how much unless you say how many lbs/cups of berries. NCHFP recipe for strawberry jam without pectin calls for 4C of fruit to 4C of sugar, no lemon juice needed so not a safety issue.

I make preserves (and jam, just mash the berries rather than leaving whole, and cook a little longer to gel point) with 2.5lbs of berries, 4C of sugar, and 4Tbsp (1/4C) of lemon juice. No pectin. You can cut the sugar, it won't gel as well b/c you need a balance of pectin (strawberries don't have much but I let them rest in the sugar/juice so they absorb it), acid, and sugar to gel but if you're making a butter you're not concerned with that.

I think I would process using the 15 minute (1000ft or lower) apple butter time though, due to density, if you're milled it fine and cooking it down.

Here is a link that might be useful: NCHFP no-pectin jam instructions

Momj, discussion of satisfactorily canning strawberry butter about this time last year on harvest forum. Have you successfully made this with strawberries without scorching it in cooking to the right consistency?

Those are gorgeous berries, I can almost taste, and smell, them from here! Our local berries are much smaller, and later, not ready yet.

Here is a link that might be useful: strawberry butter

I do the no-pectin, low sugar jams and have always been frustrated by my strawberry being so runny. So one year I decided to throw out the instructions and use my own instincts as to when it was thick enough. I made strawberry butter without even trying, lol!

I had the same problem last year, that's why we are making the butter this year.

My DD got some strawberry butter last winter, while they were on a trip, and it's very good, and easy to make, and no worries about not jelling.

I felt my "butter" had a bit too much of a caramel taste though, from all the cooking. I dunno, strawberries are my preserving nemesis! This year I may try strawberry apple preserves, apples having the pectin, berries for the flavor, color and texture.

I agree with ajsmama, the problem I've had with no-sugar/all fruit mixtures is that they do not store as long, and do not keep their color, they oxidize and turn brown.

I'd hesitate to add too much lemon juice if you aren't adding any sugar, but if you add a little sugar to balance out the lemon juice, that would be nicer and keep your butter from becoming dull in color. I've also made strawberry spread with orange juice, and that's a nice flavor combination, as is lime. The Ball Canning company does have a low sugar strawberry jam recipe (3 lbs. berries and 2 cups sugar) that doesn't call for any additional acid.

I also think the slow cooker or your oven is a good idea, it's difficult to reach a proper consistency without scorching/caramelizing the berries on the stovetop.

I often make low sugar/no sugar mixtures and although they don't actually jell, they do cook to a consistency that's thick enough to suit me. I make small batches as they do not keep as well as those with some sugar.

Annie