These strawberry preserves blend ripe berries with honey and vanilla, creating a simple but deeply flavorful preserve. The honey brings a soft floral note, the vanilla adds warmth, and together they turn ordinary preserves into something just a little bit wild, just a little bit sacred.

June is strawberry season. That perfect, fleeting window when the berries are heavy, fragrant, and bursting with sun-warmed sweetness. And every year, I find myself reaching for a way to preserve that taste... to hold onto it just a little longer.

And this? This is summer in a jar. Perfect for your morning toast, spooned into yogurt, layered between cake, or offered as a sweet addition to your summer solstice altar.

The Flavor & The Magic

Strawberries have long been associated with love, luck, and fertility. Their bright red color is tied to the heart, the life force, and the full bloom of summer. Honey brings abundance, sweetness, and the energy of bees... tiny pollinators who hold entire ecosystems together.

Infusing these preserves with honey and vanilla creates a layered sweetness: bold from the fruit, soft from the honey, and warm from the vanilla. It’s not just jam, it’s ritual. A little jar of sunlight you can tuck away and savor when the skies turn cold again.

This preserve is also a beautiful offering for Litha. As a representation of the first fruits of the season, the fullness of the earth, and the sweetness of life’s peak.

Ingredients

• 4 cups fresh strawberries, hulled and halved
• 1 ½ cups honey
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 vanilla bean, split (or 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract)
• 1 packet powder pectin

Tools You’ll Need

• Large heavy-bottomed saucepan
• Wooden spoon
• Potato masher (optional)
• Jars and lids
• Ladle
• Canning funnel
• Water Bath Canner

How to Make Strawberry Preserves with Honey + Vanilla

Step 1: Prepare the fruit

Hull and halve the strawberries. Lightly mash some of them if you prefer a softer consistency.

Step 2: Combine the ingredients

In your saucepan, add strawberries, honey, lemon juice, and the split vanilla bean. Stir gently to combine.

Step 3: Bring to a boil

Stirring frequently, bring the mixture to a rolling boil that cannot be stirred down.

Step 4: Add Pectin

Once boiling, quickly stir in the full packet of pectin, mixing thoroughly to prevent clumping.

Step 5: Boil hard

Return the mixture to a full rolling boil and boil hard for 1 full minute, stirring constantly. This activates the pectin and helps ensure a proper set.

Step 6: Remove from heat

After boiling, remove from heat and stir in the vanilla extract (or remove the vanilla bean if you used a whole one).

Step 7: Jar + seal

Immediately ladle the hot preserves into prepared jars, leaving ¼ inch headspace. Wipe rims, apply lids, and process in a water bath canner for 10 minutes (adjusting for altitude).

Step 8: Check seals

After 12–24 hours, check the jars to ensure they’ve sealed properly. The lids should be slightly concave and not flex when pressed in the center. Any unsealed jars should be refrigerated and used within 2-3 weeks.

There’s something sacred in capturing the sweetness of the season at its peak. Each jar holds a little piece of summer. Sun-warmed berries, the hum of bees, and the fullness of long days. Whether you enjoy it now or save it for the darker months, this strawberry preserve is a beautiful reminder of the earth’s simple abundance.