Strawberry season is short, but oh so wonderful. However, fresh strawberries spoil very quickly. So the window is very small to create recipes using strawberries. This sauce is an equally wonderful sauce to use the seasons freshest strawberries and also a great way to use up strawberries that may be on the edge or spoiling. It is just 3 ingredients too which is even better.
What can you use this sauce for you may wonder? As a topping for cheesecake, waffles, ice-cream or as a filling for parfaits. Make it in bulk and freeze it for year round strawberry sumptuousness.
Sweeteners. You can use any liquid sweetener in this-coconut nectar, grape nectar (both coconut nectar and grape nectar are considered low glycemic), maple syrup or even a liquid keto sweetener. I don’t recommend honey in this as honey shouldn’t be brought to a high temperature. Not only does heating honey destroy the beneficial enzymes in honey, but it can cause it to produce a toxic substance called HMF. While this sauce is only brought to a boil very briefly I would rather err on the safe side. While I love date syrup, I wouldn’t not use it in this as it is too dark and will darken the sauce too much.
Since this is made with liquid sweeteners I use only a little lemon juice and opt to get the lemony flavour from the zest. In fact, most of the lemon flavour and actually the antioxidants from a lemon are contained in the peel/zest vs the juice. Using a lot of lemon juice as is customary with a fruit sauce would make my version too liquid-ey.
Add ingredients to a medium saucepan and turn heat to medium. Stir occasionally and bring to a boil. As soon as it has come to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for about 20 minutes or so or until the sauce thickens and the strawberries have broken down. You do not need to mash the strawberries as the gentle cooking will break them down enough. I like my sauce a bit chunky so I simply slice them in half.
Allow the sauce to cool. As it cools it will also thicken. Store in an airtight glass container for up to 5 days or freeze the sauce (if freezing in mason jars like me, be sure to leave at least 1 “ room at top of jar) for up to 5 months.
Ingredients
Directions
Add ingredients to a medium saucepan and turn heat to medium. Stir occasionally and bring to a boil. As soon as it has come to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for about 20 minutes or so or until the sauce thickens and the strawberries have broken down. You do not need to mash the strawberries as the gentle cooking will break them down enough. I like my sauce a bit chunky so I simply slice them in half.
Allow the sauce to cool. As it cools it will also thicken. Store in an airtight glass container for up to 5 days or freeze the sauce (if freezing in mason jars like me, be sure to leave at least 1 “ room at top of jar) for up to 5 months.