Strawberry Balsamic Black Pepper Jam Recipes

EASY STRAWBERRY BALSAMIC BLACK PEPPER JAM

Steps:

• Wash and rinse glass** or plastic containers and lids in the dishwasher or with hot soapy water. Dry thoroughly.
• Measure exactly*** 4 cups of sugar into a medium-size bowl.
• Stem and crush strawberries. Don't try to use a blender or food processor for this step, as you want some small pieces of strawberry to remain (I like to use a potato masher). Measure exactly** 2 cups prepared fruit into large microwave-safe bowl.
• Stir in sugar till thoroughly combined. Place bowl in microwave and cook on high for 3 minutes. Remove from microwave and stir well.
• Add balsamic vinegar to strawberry mixture and stir. Add liquid pectin and stir continuously for 3 minutes. Take a taste to make sure the sugar is dissolved. If it still tastes a bit grainy, stir for another minute or two until almost all sugar is dissolved. Add pepper and stir till combined.
• Fill containers immediately (you don't want jam to start to "set" before you get it into the jars) to within ½ inch of top. Don't fill any higher as mixture will expand a bit in the freezer. Wipe off top edges of containers and cover with lids.
• Let stand at room temperature 24 hours. (I love the look of beautiful, vibrant red jam stacked up on my kitchen counter - call me old-fashioned, but there's something about it that makes me smile.) Refrigerate up to 3 weeks or freeze up to 1 year. Thaw in refrigerator.

STRAWBERRY BALSAMIC BLACK PEPPER JAM

Steps:

• Crush or finely chop strawberries 1 layer at a time. Measure 6 cups.
• Mix pectin with 1/4 cup of sugar. Stir pectin mixture into berries and continue stirring while bringing to a boil over high heat.
• Add remaining sugar. Continue stirring and boil hard for 1 minute.
• Remove jam from heat. Add balsamic vinegar and pepper.
• Ladle into sterilized jars. Process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes.

STRAWBERRY HONEY BALSAMIC WITH BLACK PEPPER ICE CREAM

Steps:

• Strawberry puree:
• Spread the strawberries out evenly on the lined sheet pan and drizzle them with the honey. Bake for 15 minutes. Stir the berries and continue baking until they just barely begin to caramelize and get a little bit of roasted color to them, about 20 minutes more. Remove the sheet pan from the oven and let them sit until they're cool enough to handle. Transfer the berries to a blender along with the yummy sticky stuff on the parchment paper and puree to make a smooth sauce. Chill in the fridge until cold.
• Store the puree in the fridge for up to 2 weeks or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
• Ice cream base:
• Combine the sugar, dry milk, and xanthan gum in a small bowl and stir well.
• Pour the corn syrup into a medium pot and stir in the whole milk. Add the sugar mixture and immediately whisk vigorously until smooth. Set the pot over medium heat and cook, stirring often and adjusting the heat if necessary to prevent a simmer, until the sugar has fully dissolved, about 3 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat.
• Add the cream and whisk until fully combined. Transfer the mixture to an airtight container and refrigerate until well chilled, at least 6 hours, or for even better texture and flavor, 24 hours. Stir the base back together if it separates during the resting time. The base can be further stored in the fridge for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 3 months. (Just be sure to fully thaw the frozen base before using it.)
• Ice cream:
• In a bowl, combine the strawberry puree, vinegar, and black pepper with the ice cream base. Whisk as needed to get everything completely incorporated into the base. Pour the mixture into an ice cream maker and turn on the machine. Churn just until it has the texture of soft-serve.
• Stir the jam with a fork to loosen it. Quickly alternate spooning layers of the mixture and dollops of the jam in freezer-friendly containers.
• Cover with parchment paper, pressing it to the surface of the ice cream so it adheres, then cover with a lid. It's okay if the parchment hangs over the rim. Store it in the coldest part of your freezer (farthest from the door) until firm, at least 6 hours. It will keep for up to 3 months.

STRAWBERRY PRESERVES WITH BLACK PEPPER AND BALSAMIC VINEGAR

Steps:

• In a small heavy saucepan bring all ingredients to a boil, stirring, and skim surface. Simmer mixture, stirring and skimming foam occasionally, 15 minutes, or until thickened and translucent. Remove pan from heat and cool preserves completely. Preserves keep, covered and chilled, 1 month.