Three Types of Strawberry Jam

The sky opened up and it rained hard on Saturday morning, and all of the local gardeners and farmers were ecstatic.  It had been scorchingly hot, with no rain for a few weeks. My neighbour, Peter, referred to the storm as 'the million dollar rain'.  The local Saturday morning market was a bit sparse and so when I saw the flats of strawberries, I thought strawberry jam, either that, or tackle organizing the basement.  It was an easy decision.  Strawberry Jam.

When I got home I pulled out my Small Batch Preserving, by Margaret Howard,  and found a couple of recipes, one with sherry, and another with balsamic vinegar.  My mother had a fondness for Harvey's Bristol Cream Sherry, and I had the remnants of a bottle from years ago in the cupboard.  The other recipe reminded me of one of my favourite deserts, strawberries with balsamic vinegar and crushed black peppercorns. 


After making these recipes there were still strawberries left over, and I thought a classic jam, and so I made what started out to be Plane Jane Strawberry Jam until, Andrea, who was visiting, suggested I add tarragon "just to add a bit of interest", so the third batch is French Tarragon Strawberry Jam.  

Three Types of Strawberry Jam

Balsamic and Peppercorn Strawberry Jam

• 8 cups of small strawberries, cleaned and hulled
• 4 cups of sugar
• 1/4 cup of balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon of coarsely crushed peppercorns

Combine strawberries and sugar in large stainless steel pot.  Let it stand for at least two hours, stirring occasionally.  Add vinegar and bring to a hard boil and continue boiling gently for 10 minutes.  Remove from heat and add peppercorns.

Pour into large flat glass or enamel pans to 1/2 inch depth.  Place in oven and bake at 170F for 10 hours, or in a convection oven for 3 hours.  Stir occasionally.


Ladle into 8 oz sterilized bottles and screw on lids.  Process for 10 minutes.  Makes 5 bottles. 

Mom's Harvey's Bristol Cream with Strawberry Preserves

• 5 cups of cleaned and hulled small strawberries
• 4 cups of sugar
• juice of one lemon
• I pouch of liquid fruit pectin
• 1/2 cup of Harvey's Bristol Cream

Stir sugar, lemon and strawberries in stainless steel or enamel pot and let stand for 4 or 5 hours. Bring to boil over high heat, stirring constantly, and boil hard for 2 minutes. remove from heat, and add pectin and sherry.

Ladle into 8 ounce, wide mouthed, sterilized bottles and process for 10 minutes.  Makes 4, 8 ounce bottles.

Andrea's Tarragon Strawberry Jam

• 5 cups of strawberries, half slightly crushed, the other half cut in half
• 4 cups of sugar
• juice from 2 lemons
• 1 tablespoon of finely chopped fresh tarragon
• 1 envelop of pectin

Mix berries, lemon juice and sugar and let stand for 8 hours.  Put in stainless steel pot and boil for 5 minutes.  Stir in pectin and cook for another minute.  Remove form heat and stir in tarragon.

Ladle into bottles and process for 10 minutes.  Makes 4, 8 ounce bottles