13 June 2016

Strawberry Preserves with Balsamic Vinegar and Pepper

Early this spring I roasted some strawberries with balsamic vinegar for a strawberry cheese cake I made for a Memorial Day barbecue.  The cheese cake was too rich for my taste, not a keeper, but the roasted strawberries were delicious.  This caused me to search for a roasted strawberry syrup which I could can now while strawberries are plentiful.  I never found a recipe for canned roasted strawberries, but instead found this recipe for strawberry preserves for serving with goat cheese as an appetizer.  The pepper adds a nice kick and a bit of interest to a type of jam that is not usually my favorite.  I plan to make another batch, possibly with brown sugar rather than white to have on hand for gifts.  I served it to my book club on a log of goat cheese, next time I'll try on some brie.


Strawberry Preserves with Balsamic Vinegar and Pepper


2 cups of strawberries (about 1 pint) cleaned and quartered
1!/2 cups of sugar
3 Tablespoons of balsamic vinegar
3 Tablespoons of water
1 teaspoon of cracked pepper

In a small sauce pan bring all ingredients to a boil, stirring and skim surface.  Simmer mixture stirring and skimming surface for about 15 minutes ( I cooked about 35 minutes), until thickened and translucent.  Remove pan from heat and cool preserves completely.  Preserves keep covered and refrigerated one month.

I tripled the recipe using 6 cups of strawberries and used a large pot after it boiled over in my largest saucepan.  I cooked quite a bit longer because I wanted a thicker product.  I also ladled it into 5 half pint jars and processed in a hot water bath for 10 minutes.  

Recipe from Epicurious.com