• Prepare the strawberries: Wash and hull the strawberries. If they’re very small, keep them whole; if larger, cut in half. Place them in a heavy-bottomed pot.
• Macerate: Add sugar, lemon juice and a cinnamon stick. Gently stir. Then, let the mixture sit for 4 to 12 hours in a fridge. The sugar will draw out the juices and create a natural syrup.
• First cooking round: Place the pot over medium heat, add vanilla extract or paste and bring the berries and syrup just to a gentle boil. Cook for 5–7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat.
• Resting period: Let the sauce sit off the heat for 1 hour. During this time, the strawberries will plump up and reabsorb some of the syrup. If you are pressed for time, return the pot with strawberries back to the fridge and let them sit for up to one day.
• Second cooking round: Return the pot to medium heat. Bring mixture to boil. Then lower the heat to medium-low and cook for another 10 minutes, stirring gently. You’ll notice the syrup getting thicker and glossier. Remove from heat again.
• Resting period (again): Allow the sauce to rest another 1 hour (maximum 12 hours in a fridge). This helps deepen the caramelized flavor and keeps the berries whole instead of collapsing.
• Final cooking round: Just like in the previous round, bring mixture to a boil, lower heat and cook one last time for 5–10 minutes or until the sauce reaches your desired thickness.
• Remove cinnamon sticks. Take them out before storing or canning.

Choose your storage method:

• For fridge storage: Let the sauce cool, transfer to clean jars or containers, and refrigerate. It will last up to 2 weeks (longer than most “quick” strawberry sauces because of the cooking method and lemon juice).
• For canning: Ladle hot sauce into sterilized jars, leaving ¼ inch headspace. Wipe rims, apply lids, and process in a canner – following canning table below
• Cool and store: If canned, let jars rest undisturbed for 12–24 hours, then check seals, label, and store in a cool, dark place for up to a 2 years.