Maple Sugar Strawberry Sauce

It’s May in Vermont and the stores are packed with strawberries. Our own local strawberries won’t be available until June, but it’s hard to resist buying this delicious little fruit as soon as it becomes available. This sauce can be used in a myriad of ways. Try it over cheesecake, ice cream or Greek yogurt. It’s also a fantastic addition to savory dishes. Serve it alongside a roasted pork loin or on a cheese platter. Another favorite addition is rhubarb, which is also a nice early plant in Vermont. If you wish, add 2 cups of diced rhubarb to the mixture before cooking. This recipe is fairly large, so consider freezing part of it or packaging it into a pretty jar for your neighbor!

• 3 pounds of strawberries, washed, hulled and coarsely chopped
• 1 cup maple syrup
• 1 cup maple sugar
• zest and juice of 1 large lemon
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch, mixed into 1/2 cup warm water

Add all the ingredients into a heavy bottomed sauce pan. Stir to combine and mash some of the strawberries slightly. Bring to a boil and turn the heat down to simmer for about 8 minutes. Stir frequently and remove from heat once strawberries have softened. The sauce will thicken as it cools. Once cool, refrigerate and use within a week. Enjoy!