These Strawberry Champagne Preserves are the perfect way to elevate any breakfast. They have an intense strawberry flavor that tastes amazing when paired with the dry, fruity notes of Champagne. It’s great on scones, toast, and even a cheese plate. No pectin required!
If you’re looking for a unique collection of jams, preserves, and other fruit spreads, Fortnum & Mason in London is where it’s at. But we know not everyone has the luxury of living near the flagship store or shipping internationally. And while we love ordering online, it can get pretty costly which is why we decided to create or own homemade preserves.
After seeing Strawberry Champagne Preserves on the Fortnum’s site, we had to create our own to try it out. And we were not disappointed! It has all the flavors of a good strawberry jam, but is elevated by the dry, fruity notes of Champagne.
It’s tastes amazing on a rustic slice of bread, English scones, and goes great with a fancy cheese plate. And the best part is that it only requires 5 ingredients (no pectin needed)!
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Ingredients
- Fresh Strawberries: Make sure they’re perfectly ripe and not too mushy.
- Granulated Sugar: You’ll need ⅔ cup or 132 g.
- Lemon Zest: You’ll need 2 tsp which you can get from one medium sized lemon.
- Lemon Juice: Fresh lemon juice is best.
- Champagne: Make sure to get real Champagne and not sparkling wine or Prosecco.
How to Make Strawberry Champagne Preserves
- Cut all the strawberries into equal sized chunks and add to a large pot with the rest of the ingredients.
- Stir and bring everything to a rapid boil over medium heat.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low and gently mash the strawberries to release their juices. Squish them just enough to get out some juice while keeping them whole and intact.
- Simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally until the liquid has reduced and thickened.
You’ll know your preserves are done when the liquid coats the back of a spoon and has a thick syrupy consistency. You can also run your finger along the back of the coated spoon (be careful, it’s hot). If there’s a clear path where your finger was, it’s done. As the preserves cool, the mixture will set and thicken a bit more.
Tips
- Cut the strawberries into equal sized pieces. That way everything cooks evenly and you’ll have a much more homogenous batch of preserves. We cut them into about 1 inch (2.5 cm) chunks.
- Don’t mash the strawberries too much. These are preserves so they’re meant to be on the chunkier side. Squishing them too much will cause the strawberries to break, turning the mixture into more of a jam-like consistency.
- You don’t have to buy the most expensive Champagne. It’s pricier than similar drinks like Prosecco and sparkling wine, but as long as you’re getting real Champagne, it shouldn’t matter how expensive it is. It’ll still taste delicious!
FAQ
One of the key differences is that Champagne comes from the Champagne region of France while Prosecco comes from the Veneto region of Italy. The flavor profiles are also different in that Champagne has a more yeasty taste with notes of citrus, almonds, and toast. Prosecco is made from Glera grapes and tastes more like honeydew, pear, and apples. Champagne is generally priced higher, but one bottle should make at least 3 batches of these strawberry preserves which is worth the price in our book. Especially since they last so long.
There are many things that indicate what a real bottle of Champagne looks like. The main things are that it should label the proper country of origin – France – as well as the name and address of the producer, including the name of the town or village. If you’re interested in more info about recognizing real Champagne, this article has all the details.
If properly stored in a sealed jar (unopened), they can last for up to 3 months in the fridge or freezer. Once opened, they’re good for up to 1 month.
Transfer the preserves to clean jars and wipe the rim clean. Leave a bit of room at the top so nothing spills over. It’s important to keep the seal clean to keep it properly secured which prevents any bacteria from growing. For more tips on how to can preserves or jam, please refer to this helpful article.
How to Serve Strawberry Champagne Preserves
- On a rustic slice of toast. Add a bit of butter or Greek yogurt with it too!
- Use it as a topping on English scones with clotted cream.
- Serve it with a hearty bowl of oatmeal.
- Spoon it on top of some Greek yogurt for a healthy snack.
- On top of French toast or inside a buttery croissant.
- If you really want to go all out, add the preserves on top of some crepes or pancakes with a bit of whipped cream.
📖 Recipe
Strawberry Champagne Preserves
Ingredients
- 4 cups (600 g) strawberries hulled and cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm) chunks
- ⅔ cup (133 g) granulated sugar
- 2 tsp lemon zest from 1 medium sized lemon
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- ¾ cup (180 ml) Champagne
Instructions
- Add everything to a large pot over medium heat.
- Stir and bring to a rapid boil.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low then gently mash the strawberries with the back of a wooden spoon. Squish them just enough to release a bit of their juices while keeping them whole and intact. Otherwise you'll end up with jam instead of preserves.
- Simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally until reduced and thickened. You'll know it's done when the liquid coats the back of a spoon and has a thick, syrupy consistency. You can also check by running your finger along the back of the spoon (careful, it's hot!). If there's a clear path where your finger was, it's done.
- Transfer to clean jars and wipe the rim clean. Seal with a tightly fitted lid and cool to room temperature before storing in the fridge or freezer.
Notes
- If unopened and properly canned, the preserves will last up to 3 months in the fridge or freezer. Once opened, they'll last up to 1 month in the fridge.
- Be sure to get real Champagne (should be labelled 'Champagne') and not sparkling wine or Prosecco. They have different flavor profiles and are made with different types of grapes. No need to go for the most expensive one though.
- Makes a little over 1 cup (250 ml) of preserves.
Nutrition
Elaine says
Can the STRAWBERRY CHAMPAGNE PRESERVES be canned for long term use?
fancifuleats says
Hi! We personally haven’t canned them for long-term use, but you should be able to by following the directions on this article: https://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/19/dining/canning-jam-from-preparing-the-jars-to-testing-the-seal.html It guides you through properly canning your homemade jams and preserves. Hope it helps! 🙂
Cristina Jesurun says
Made the Strawberry Champagne Preserve and added it to my strawberry shortcake. It was sooo delicious! I couldn’t stop tasting it before it was done. It was just right!
fancifuleats says
So happy you liked it! It sounds delicious on shortcake!