Strawberry Syrup

One thing you can just about always count on around here, is a Saturday morning breakfast of homemade pancakes. I have so many fond memories surrounded by pancakes.  You pretty much knew on the first day of school Mom would make you a character shaped pancake to celebrate the morning. Teddy bears were her specialty! Dad loved pancakes, so we had them EVERY Saturday, and later on as we got older he decided he would take this time honored tradition on for himself. He discovered the blender and how it made the most wonderful pancake batter, all smooth and just the right consistency. Sweet Man and I, along with Princess #1, resided in their basement for awhile, while we were building our house. Every Saturday we would wake up to a spread of pancakes and sausage, before we all left (including my Dad and brother) for the "construction site." Mom was always left with the mess to deal with, but never complained. I wonder if she ever started to resent pancakes? No, I don't think she did. She saw it as a way to serve us all.  Sadly with Dad's congestive heart failure he doesn't get to eat pancakes as often, so I figure my parents are working on finding a new menu for their Saturday mornings.

One of the fun things about pancakes is that you can dress them all up with yummy stuff. I came across a strawberry syrup recipe in my canning book, and just had to try it. Thankfully the one chicken who refuses to stay in the fence, saved me enough strawberries to make this syrup adventure possible. The recipe calls for straining out the strawberry pulp. Why on earth would you want to do that?? Little chunks of strawberries spread all over a hot steamy pancake sound just divine to me, so I skipped that part. Made it easier too! ;-)

Today's recipe is adapted from Ball complete book of home preserving. Yield is about 4 half-pint jars.

5 cups crushed strawberries3  cups water (divided)
1 strip of lemon peel
2  1/2cups sugar
3  1/2 cups corn syrup
2 tbsp lemon juice

Combine strawberries, half of the water and lemon peel. Heat to boiling and boil for 5 minutes.

Pour into a jelly strainer and let drip for 2 hours. (totally skipped this step)

Combine the sugar and the remaining water and cook to 230°F.  Add the strawberry juice and the corn syrup. Bring to boiling and boil for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the lemon juice. Fill hot jars leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Add lids and process in a water bath for 10 minutes.

Can't you just taste it? I picture a chilly fall morning with a stack of streaming hot pancakes all slathered with organic butter and strawberry syrup! I wonder if this will make one of the fond memories that my girls will remember when they are grown up and have a family of their own?