Strawberry Blueberry Pineapple Preserves. Or maybe I should call them Blueberry Strawberry Pineapple Preserves. Either way, it's a mouthful. Oh! I know! P.B.S. Preserves! It rolls off the tongue nicely, and I'm sure the folks at Sesame Street would love it.
For my second canning experience, I decided to go off the cuff and come up with my own combination. I was sold when I asked Ang and Michael if they thought strawberries, blueberries and pineapple would make tasty preserves and they answered with a resounding 'YES'!
I have never heard of pineapple in preserves, and I don't know if they are supposed to be used in that way, but I figured, what the heck, I'll give it a try. I referenced a strawberry preserve recipe I found on the internet and got to work.
In a large pot I combined fresh strawberries, frozen blueberries, and canned pineapple (juice and all) together with sugar and some lemon juice, and set it on the stove. I brought the mixture to temperature and used the same frozen plate test I did with the orange marmalade. Once the mixture quickly jelled on the frozen plate, I was ready for the jars.
The whole thing came together quite quickly, but the proof was in the taste. Not having any biscuits around this time, I had to settle for a piece of toast. The flavors were sensational! The strawberry and blueberry flavors shine, and the pineapple comes through as well, even though most of the chunks practically disintegrated while cooking. It has the perfect sweetness for my taste, as well.
My second canning experience was a success and it was exciting to try something new. I was also lucky enough to get dozens of 8 oz. jars from Margie, chock full of canning memories past. All but guaranteeing many more canning adventures to come.
