Top It Off... Strawberry Caramel Sauce

Strawberry Caramel Sauce 

Found on foodinjars

NOTE from author: I made this last year. When I first made it I was not that impressed with it. Just wasn't anything special. So it set on the shelf, was gonna stick it in gift baskets but forgot to use them. Well I opened a jar (because I had 12 of them sitting there, I canned them in quarter pints), and got a spoon and tasted it. Have to admit it is a lot better since it has "aged" or mellowed. I used it on ice cream as a topping. There is not a strong taste of strawberries or the "zing" of the strawberries at all. Was pretty mild. It was pretty good, so I may make some more....lol 

Yield - 2 half pints 

1 pound strawberries 

1-1/2 cups granulated sugar 

3/4 cup water 

juice of 1 lemon or 2 tbsps of bottled lemon juice 

Remove leaves and hulls from strawberries. Place cleaned and hulled strawberries in a blender and puree until smooth. Set aside. 

Combine sugar with water in a small sauce pan. Place over medium-high heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes, until the sugar reaches 250°F and darkens to the color of a tarnished copper penny. Do not stir the cooking syrup, instead hold the handle of the pot and gently swirl it to move things around. 

Once the syrup has reached 250°F, remove the pot from the heat and stir in the strawberry puree and the lemon juice. It will bubble, spatter, and appear to seize up, so take care. 

Stir puree into the sugar until it is a smooth sauce and return the pot to the heat. Continue stirring and cooking, until the sauce reaches 218°F. 

Remove caramel from heat and fill jars, leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Wipe rims, assemble lids, and process in a boiling water bath canner for 10 minutes.