Canned Strawberry Juice Recipe – A Slovenian Cold Cellar Tradition | Gosti Jagodni Sok

🍓 Strawberry season is here! That means gardens and markets are overflowing with sweet, sun-kissed berries—and there’s no better way to capture that summer flavour than with homemade strawberry juice (gosti jagodni sok). 

This rich, vibrant juice is made with just a few simple ingredients. It’s perfect for sipping on its own, mixing with water, or drizzling into desserts and cocktails. 

If you loved my peach juice recipe from last year, this one’s a must-try—it follows a similar method but delivers that unmistakable strawberry goodness.

Bottle it up, store it cool, and enjoy summer in a glass all year long.

Ingredients

• 1.5 kg strawberries, washed, hulled, and quartered

• 2.5 L water

• 500 g granulated white sugar (about 2½ cups)

• 10 g (2 tsp) citric acid

• Sterilized bottles or jars with lids

   
Directions

1. Cook the strawberries:
   Add the berries to a large pot with just 500 ml of the water. Bring to a boil, then reduce to medium heat and simmer gently for about 15 minutes, or until the strawberries are very soft.    

2. Blend:
   Remove from heat and blend the strawberries directly in the pot using a hand mixer until smooth.

3. Add remaining ingredients:
   Stir in the sugar, citric acid, and remaining 2 liters of water. Return the pot to the stove and bring to a boil. Simmer gently for 3–4 minutes, skimming off any foam that forms on the surface.

4. Bottle and cool:
   Remove from heat and pour the hot juice into sterilized bottles or jars. Seal tightly with lids. Place the jars on a wooden board or thick cloth, then wrap them completely with a blanket or towel to cool slowly (this helps with preservation).

5. Store:
   Once completely cooled (after about 24 hours), transfer to a cold cellar or pantry. Na zdravje!

.