Strawberry Jam with Balsamic Vinegar and Black Pepper

  

You know summer has arrived when it is time to get out the canning pot and preserve some of those yummy strawberries.  I made some strawberry jam decided this time to try out a new recipe: Strawberry Jam with Balsamic Vinegar and Pepper.  It's really something special!  Imagine the sweetness of Strawberry Jam that has notes of Balsamic Vinegar and the heat of black pepper.  This jam will be wonderful with goat cheese and crackers.  Or poured over a block of cream cheese and served as an appetizer on crackers.  And how about serving it with fish?  I'm also thinking it would make a yummy sweat salsa-like accompaniment to fish tacos.  The possibilities are many!

Strawberry Jam with Balsamic Vinegar and Black Pepper

 

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds of fresh, cleaned and hulled STRAWBERRIES
• 4 cups of sugar
• 1/4  cup of Balsamic Vinegar
• 2 teaspoons of black pepper
• The juice of one lemon

Instructions:

1. Prepare your jelly jars by washing thoroughly and placing the jars and lids in boiling water for 10 minutes.  Keep the jars in the HOT water until you are ready to fill the jars with the jam.
2. Place the strawberries in a heavy bottomed saucepan and mash the berries with a potato masher to crush.
3. Add the sugar, balsamic vinegar, black pepper and lemon juice to the pan with the strawberries and stir well to mix them.
4. Stir over low heat until all if the sugar has dissolved.
5. Turn the heat to high until the mixture comes to a full boil.  Stir often to prevent scorching.
6. Once the berry mixture reaches a full boil, turn the heat down but continue to boil the mixture until it reaches 220 degrees Fahrenheit on a candy thermometer.  Watch very closely and stir often!
7. Remove and drain the jars and lids from the hot water with tongs
8. Ladle the hot jam into the hot sterile jars, leaving about 1/2 inch headspace, then seal with the lids and process using the water bath canning method.

Yield: approximately 2 cups
 

 

 

Until next time,

Cheers!

 

Jennifer