Cherry Limeade Concentrate Canning Recipe
Cherry Limeade concentrate is so easy to make and taste like summer. I love to can this so I can have a refreshing drink anytime I want!
Growing up Sonic Cherry Limeade’s were a favorite of our families. Now that we are older we avoid red dye and artificial flavors so I decided to make my own at home. The convenience of having it canned up and ready to use is so nice. You can make 3-4 drinks with 1 pint jar. I actually prefer mine with just water but my husband likes to make the Sonic dupe. Just use 1/4 cup concentrate to 1 can of sprite. Enjoy on a hot summers day!
Tools You Will Need
- Water Bath Canner
- Funnel
- Ladle
- Lids and rings
- Mason Jars
- Jar Lifter
Ingredients
- 6 cups Cherry Juice
- 4 cups Lime Juice
- 6 cups Sugar
Step by Step Instructions
1. Prep your supplies! Fill water canner, half full with water and put on stovetop. Next, to ensure water is hot when jars go into the canner go ahead and turn on the heat. Then take washed jars and either add them to the canner to warm with the water or you can put jars into the oven on a cookie sheet. Turn oven onto 200 degrees and leave in until ready to use. Add a little water over flat lids in saucepan and heat on stovetop. (this is optional, some people don’t heat the lids up and it works fine as well) Go ahead and get out any other items needed like cutting boards, knives, jar lifter, magnetic lid tool, de-bubbler, bowls, ladle etc.
2..Place pitted cherries in saucepan or Dutch oven and cook until all juices come out.(Roughly 4lbs of fresh or frozen fruit. I used a 4lb bag of sweet cherries from Costco.) If you have a steam juicer than use that. I like to strain the cherries into a bowl and then strain them again when pouring them into the Dutch oven to ensure I have a smooth juice. Then measure exactly 6 cups prepared fruit juice into 6- or 8-qt. saucepot.
3.Take and cut your limes in half and squeeze the juice out of them until it measures 4 cups. I used half freshly squeezed limes and half lime concentrate from the store. Just use what you have on hand. I like to strain this through a fine mesh strainer as I am pouring it into the Dutch oven as well.
4.Measure 6 cups sugar and add to the Dutch oven and heat on medium to medium high until sugar dissolves. Heat until it reaches 190 degrees. You must not boil it.
5. Remove from heat and ladle into hot mason jars leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Place on lids and rings to finger tight. Place into water bath canner and heat to boiling. Process for 15 minutes and then turn off heat and remove lid. Let stand for 5-10 minutes before removing jars. Let sit for 24 hours and check seal. If any did not seal properly than put in fridge immediately.
Tips and Tricks
1. You can use fresh or frozen cherries for this recipe. You can even use store bought cherry juice if you prefer.
2. You can squeeze fresh lime juice or use lime concentrate. I prefer to do a mixture of both.
3. If you want to make it into a Sonic Cherry Limeade add 1/4 cup concentrate to 1 can sprite and enjoy! You can also just dilute with water to your liking.
Cherry Limeade Concentrate Canning Recipe
Cherry Limeade concentrate is so easy to make and taste like summer. I love to can this so I can have a refreshing drink anytime I want!
Ingredients
- 6 cups cherry juice
- 4 cups lime juice
- 6 cups sugar
Instructions
1. Prep your supplies! Fill water canner, half full with water and put on stovetop. Next, to ensure water is hot when jars go into the canner go ahead and turn on the heat. Then take washed jars and either add them to the canner to warm with the water or you can put jars into the oven on a cookie sheet. Turn oven onto 200 degrees and leave in until ready to use. Add a little water over flat lids in saucepan and heat on stovetop. (this is optional, some people don't heat the lids up and it works fine as well) Go ahead and get out any other items needed like cutting boards, knives, jar lifter, magnetic lid tool, de-bubbler, bowls, ladle etc.
2..Place pitted cherries in saucepan or Dutch oven and cook until all juices come out.(Roughly 4lbs of fresh or frozen fruit. I used a 4lb bag of sweet cherries from Costco.) If you have a steam juicer than use that. I like to strain the cherries into a bowl and then strain them again when pouring them into the Dutch oven to ensure I have a smooth juice. Then measure exactly 6 cups prepared fruit juice into 6- or 8-qt. saucepot.
3.Take and cut your limes in half and squeeze the juice out of them until it measures 4 cups. I used half freshly squeezed limes and half lime concentrate from the store. Just use what you have on hand. I like to strain this through a fine mesh strainer as I am pouring it into the Dutch oven as well.
4.Measure 6 cups sugar and add to the Dutch oven and heat on medium to medium high until sugar dissolves. Heat until it reaches 190 degrees. You must not boil it.
5. Remove from heat and ladle into hot mason jars leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Place on lids and rings to finger tight. Place into water bath canner and heat to boiling. Process for 15 minutes and then turn off heat and remove lid. Let stand for 5-10 minutes before removing jars. Let sit for 24 hours and check seal. If any did not seal properly than put in fridge immediately.
Notes
1. You can use fresh or frozen cherries for this recipe. You can even use store bought cherry juice if you prefer.
2. You can squeeze fresh lime juice or use lime concentrate. I prefer to do a mixture of both.
3. If you want to make it into a Sonic Cherry Limeade add 1/4 cup concentrate to 1 can sprite and enjoy! You can also just dilute with water to your liking.
