• You can easily multiply this recipe. I usually make up to 2 kg / about 4 lb. batches with larger pots.

Prepare the strawberries

• Wash and pat dry the strawberries. If you'd like to, you can slice larger strawberries in half. I prefer to keep the strawberries mostly whole.
• Remove the caps of the strawberries, taking care to remove only what you have to. Also slice off any bruised or discolored parts. Set the strawberries aside.
• You should have at least 455 g / 1 lb of strawberries.

Make the strawberry topping

• In a medium-sized pot, place the tapioca starch, citric acid, and sugar. Whisk to combine. Add enough water to dissolve the tapioca starch in the water with no lumps.
  50 g white sugar, 10 g tapioca starch, 15 - 30 mL water, ¼ - ½ tsp citric acid
• Add about ¼ of the strawberries into the pot.
  113.75 g ripe strawberries
• Heat the mixture over medium / medium low heat while stirring the strawberries with the tapioca starch mixture. As the strawberries soften, gently crush them with a fork to release the juices.
• The tapioca starch will also start to thicken the mixture as it heats up at this stage.
• After a few minutes of cooking, and the strawberries have softened considerably, remove from the heat and crush the strawberries, OR blend them with a stick blender to make a “chunky" sauce.
• Add the remaining strawberries and mix them with the thickened base and return the pot to the stove.
  341.25 g ripe strawberries
• Continue to cook the strawberries over medium heat, while stirring fairly frequently and bring it to a simmer. This is to prevent the mixture from catching at the bottom of the pot and creating lumps or burning.
• The strawberries will release juices, but continue to thicken as they cook. Make sure to control the heat setting on your stove to maintain a simmer.
• When the strawberries have softened, and the mixture has thickened to your liking, the sauce is done cooking. The cook time will vary depending on the batch size and the pot you use. (For a single batch, it may only take about 15 - 20 minutes.)
• Taste the sauce to check if you need to adjust the flavor. If you used strawberries that were not as ripe and sweet, you can add extra sugar at this stage. You can also add extra citric acid or lemon juice if you like.
• Stir the sugar in (if you need to add sugar), and make sure the sugar properly dissolves.
• If you prefer a strawberry sauce with smaller chunks of berries, then use a stick blender to pulse and partially blend the sauce. But if you prefer a smoother sauce, you can also use the stick blender to fully blend the strawberries.
• While the strawberry sauce topping is still hot, ladle the mixture into clean, heat-proof glass jars.
• Cover the jars with airtight lids, and let them cool to room temperature (or slightly warmer). Then store the jar / jars in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. The citric acid helps with the shelf-life of this sauce as well.
• The sauce tastes best when served chilled.

Freezing for later

• If you want to freeze this for later, cover the jars with foil or plastic wrap. Make sure to leave a gap of about ½ - 1 inch at the top of the jars. Allow the mixture to cool down to room temperature and freeze the sauce in the jars WITHOUT the lids. This prevents the jars from cracking when the filling expands as it freezes.
• Once the strawberry sauce is frozen in the jars, screw on the lids and return the jars to the freezer.