Strawberry Lavender Jam
500g strawberries
500g sugar
2 dozen lavender stems
juice of 2 lemons

Wash, dry and hull the strawberries. Layer them in a large bowl with the sugar and 1 dozen of the lavender stems and set in a cool place overnight. Discard the lavender and place the berry mixture in a large. Tie the remaining lavender stems together and add them to the berries. Add the lemon juice. Cook over medium heat until the mixture comes to the boil, then continue to cook for 20-25 minutes. Skim any foam from the top. Discard the lavender and pour the jam into sterilised jars. Seal.

Also, browse through here:

Here is a link that might be useful: strawberry jam variations

For vanilla, it might be a good diea to use a whole vanilla bean or two. Split in half like you see on cooking shows and scrape out the seeds. Also, just slicing the berries coursly may be a good option too, unless you like a smooth jam with no lumps.

not vanilla, but christine ferbers' strawberry, mint, and black pepper preserves are marvelous:
1kg strawberry (net)
800g granulated sugar
Juice of 1 small lemon
5 fresh mint leaves
5 black peppercorns, freshly ground (I toasted them before crushing)
. 1. Rinse the strawberries under cold water. Dry them and hull them (remember to hull the strawberries after you washed them or they will absorb water).
. 2. In a ceramic bowl, mix the strawberries, lemon juice and sugar and mash it using a wooden spoon or a potato masher. Let it macerate overnight in a cool place or in the fridge.
. 3. The next day, pour the mixture back into the preserving pan. Bring to a boil and cook until setting point is reached (to check whether the jam is set, spoon a little onto a plate, wait few seconds and run your finger through the drop of jam. If it wrinkles it means the jam is ready).
. 4. Add the crushed black pepper and chopped mint leaves. Bring back to the boil and cook for about 5 minutes, skimming if necessary (be careful not to skim away the fresh mint leaves).5. Pour the jam into clean, warm jars. Seal immediately

Great ideas! Another thought - I use low-sugar pectin and the basic recipe calls for 1 cup unsweetened apple or white grape juice. Is there any reason I couldn't sub something like orange juice? Or would a bit of orange taste funny with strawberries?

I suppose I need to "graduate" to no-pectin recipes. :-)

I am such a product of the public schools - what's the equivalent of 1kg strawberries and 800g sugar in US cups? That strawberry, mint, and black pepper preserves recipe sounds interesting, but I am clueless at translating it.

Also, the strawberry-lavender jam sounds good - I have dried lavender flowers; any idea how I might sub those?

I have vanilla bean - I'll definitely give that idea a try. :-)

1kg of berries is 2.2lbs. 1 cup of sugar is 200 grams. So, you'd need 4 cups. I didnt know any metric until I moved to Canada from the US : )

I am going to try the strawberry/mint/black pepper jam this weekend, too, but I also want to try another of Ferber's recipes with strawberries, black pepper, and balsamic vinegar. How good does THAT sound?? I am at work right now, and my copy of Mes Confitures is at home, but I'll be happy to post it later if you're interested. (A quick Google search proved, er, fruitless.) --Gina

Here is a link that might be useful: Lindsey's Luscious

Ever heard of Crystal Light drink mixes?? They have a really good one called 'Strawberry Orange Banana'. I bet that orange and strawberries will go great together. Even for that, for the most sweetness, use a FROZEN CONCENTRATE orange juice and do NOT add any water!! Mixed berry jam, strawberry, blueberry, raspberry blackberry, all in one..

Here is that jam I was talking about, another one from Christine Ferber if anyone wants to give it a try. This one is definitely on my to-do list. However, my raspberries aren't ready yet. What are your feelings about making this with all strawberries? --Gina

Strawberry with Raspberry Juice and Balsamic Vinegar
(Source: Mes Confitures: The Jams and Jellies of Christine Ferber)

Ingredients
1 3/4 pounds wild Mara strawberries, or 1 1/2 pounds net*
4 1/4 cups granulated sugar
Juice of 1 small lemon
1 1/4 pound raspberries
1 2/3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
5 peppercorns, freshly ground

Procedure
1. Select small strawberries. Rinse them in cold water, dry them in a towel, stem them, and halve them. In a bowl, combine the strawberries, sugar, and lemon juice. Cover with a sheet of parchment paper, and let them macerate, refrigerated, overnight.

2. Next day, place the raspberries into a saucepan with 3 1/2 ounces water, bring to a boil, and boil for a few minutes. Strain this mixture through a chinoise, pressing the fruit lightly with the back of a skimmer. Set the collected raspberry juice aside.

3. Pour the macerated strawberries into a sieve. Bring the strawberry syrup to a boil in a preserving pan with the raspberry juice. Skim and continue cooking over high heat. The syrup will be sufficiently concentrated at 221°F on a candy thermometer.

4. Add the macerated fruit, pepper, and balsamic vinegar, and bring to a boil once more. Skim, return to a boil, boiling for about 5 minutes while stirring gently. Check the set. The strawberries should be translucent, like preserves.** Put the jam into the jars immediately and seal.

* Where Mara strawberries are not available, use local, wild strawberries combined with ripe, locally grown, domesticated strawberries.

Here is a link that might be useful: Lindsey's Luscious (my food blog)

Oh my, I'm nearly overwhelmed! I may just give the Strawberry with Raspberry Juice and Balsamic Vinegar recipe a go, but with my home-grown berries ('cause they're free, ha) when raspberries are in season. Would frozen raspberries work as well, I wonder?

Strawberry/mint/black pepper? Hmm.... not sure the pepper *sounds* good, but I'll bet it tastes marvelous!

I'll give the undiluted concentrated juices a try, thanks!

Thanks for the metric conversions!

I have made strawberry lavendar jam, it is good. The lavendar has a light, spicy taste.

The next best "fancy" kind of strawberry jam, IMHO, is strawberry rhubarb, although rhubarb is hard to find. You can use frozen, which is also hard to find, lol!

A shot of cointreau is great in any jam! I made peach-raspberry jam with frangelico and I'll bet it would be good with strawberries.

Ok, gang....I just pulled my first batch of the Ferber strawberry/raspberry/balsamic/black pepper jam out of the canner, and let me tell you, it is GORGEOUS (a color somewhere between fuschia and garnet) and SO DELICIOUS! It's hard to describe the flavor. It's very berry, but with a sophisticated depth of flavor that I bet a blind taste tester would not be able to pinpoint. And as far as the black pepper goes, it gives it a little something-something--a little kick--but again, you'd never be able to pick it out of a lineup. I've already decided to make a second batch, as the first yielded only five jars. The only thing I'll do differently is use a bag of frozen raspberries as fresh are so dear (I paid seven dollars for just shy of a pound, and the recipe called for a pound and a quarter). I see no reason why frozen wouldn't do (almost) as well, since you're only using the juice anyway.

I just wanted to report back and recommend that anyone knee-deep in strawberries give this recipe a try! --Gina

Here is a link that might be useful: Lindsey's Luscious (my food blog)

Thanks, joybugaloo, for the review on that recipe. I don't grow strawberries, but will buy some and try that recipe myself. Its always nice to hear someone try a recipe for the first time and give good reviews. I will probably use the frozen raspberries, too. In fact, there's a couple of bags in the freezer right now, but will have to get the strawberries the next time I get to a town.

That does it! Next time I go to Costco I'm buying some frozen raspberries and making some of this. :-)

Thank you so much for taking the time to report back!

My red raspberries are just now flowering.

I have weighed the strawberries and sugar and placed them with lemon juice in a freezer bag. Now that they have macerated overnight in the fridge it is time to put them in the freezer until the local raspberries are ready. I was going to buy some but I much prefer to make local jams and such. I labeled the bag with the measurement of everything and the page number of everything.

-Robin

I made four jars of the Ferber strawberry/mint/black pepper this weekend, too. I made it for my roommate who LOVES the combo of strawberry and mint, and she thought it was quite delicious. I actually doubled the amount of mint and black pepper called for, and though she liked the level of mint, she couldn't even tell there was pepper in it had I not told her. So don't get weirded out by the black pepper in these recipes. It's barely noticeable--just gives it a little tasty twist.

Oh, and I also wanted to report that I took the foam skimmings from the strawberry/raspberry/balsamic/black pepper jam, heated it with an extra tablespoon of good balsamic vinegar, then glazed some grilled pork ribs with it last night. MMM-MMM!

Here is a link that might be useful: Lindsey's Luscious

What a great idea, Other-Robin (grin) - freezing at that stage of the process until the raspberries are in season. I'll remember that.

Lindsey (?),

Thank you for the reassurance about the pepper. Also, the pork ribs sound delish!

What type of balsamic do you use for making this jam? Prices are all over the map on this stuff - does it really matter, as long as it's one you like the flavor of?

You only use 1 2/3 tablespoons balsamic in this recipe, but I recommend that you use the best you can afford. I have one jug of what I consider everyday balsamic vinegar from Trader Joe's, but I also have a bottle of aged, imported (thicker, sweeter stuff) that a friend gave me for Christmas last year that I save for drizzling on things to finish them, not usually for cooking with. That's what I used for this recipe, and since the flavors are so concentrated, I think it's worth the splurge. Just buy a teeny bottle of the good stuff, as you won't need much.

--Gina

Here is a link that might be useful: Lindsey's Luscious

I finally finished posting to my blog about the Ferber jams. There are pictures, too, if anyone wants to see them...just click the link below.

--Gina

Here is a link that might be useful: Lindsey's Luscious Strawberry Jams

OK, I'm confused. In the recipe posted by jenniesue above, step 2 calls for mashing the strawberries. ON your blog, Gina, you make the point that the strawberries should remain whole. I don't have the book (it's on order though), so don't know what it calls for. I started this last night (this is the mint and black pepper variation), before I read your blog, so I mashed them. I guess I will now have a jam rather than a preserve, but taste-wise will it matter?

Washing strawberries are always done just to remove any traces of dirt. They grow close to the ground and will always have a a little bit of traces dirt left. Same with mushrooms. They can be washed and will not absorb or 'dilute' the flavor. Be sure to start with good quality strawberries. Some I have eaten are bland and have almost no taste, and its usuly happening after the end of June, or depending on where they were grown.

Thought I'd weigh in here - I've made both of those Ferber recipes numerous times. Here are my experiences:

Strawberry-raspberry-balsamic:
I've used both hyper-expensive balsamic and Costco balsamic, and the Costco batch tasted better. I think that this jam tastes best when no one flavor accent is too assertive, and the really expensive stuff throws off the balance. Ditto the black pepper. Don't use too much, since the amount specified lends an indefinable kick, not a punch. BTW, 5 ground black peppercorns is a little under 1/4 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper. The recipe makes 5 1/2-pint jars.

Strawberry-mint:
Increasing the mint amount throws off the balance of flavors in this jam. I really love mint, and I have a forest of it out my door every year, but more mint just doesn't work in this recipe. Be sure to chop it up finely. I've cheated on this recipe and made it in 2 days instead of three (no intermediate boil step), and it doesn't seem to make a difference at all. The recipe makes 4 1/2-pint jars.

The recipes in Ferber's book seem to all follow the same protocol: macerate the fruit in sugar overnight in the refrigerator (maybe with other ingredients), and then proceed. I think that this method results in a very sophisticated taste, and the fruit really maintains its shape in the jam if left in.

The Strawberry-raspberry-balsamic jam is unbelievably good in a deep, full-of-flavor way. Like, so good that right after you make it you immediately do not want to give it away, even if you'd planned to give it as a gift. People who don't like raspberries love this jam.

The strawberry-mint is also really good, and the best way to describe the taste is that it reminds you of really good, hand made hard candy. The mint flavor is subtle, and the effect is to make the jam taste very fresh, rather than minty.

Hi

I can provide you guys with an interesting orange strawberry recipe using sweet oranges. Yummm. Thank you for the other ones posted here, I am going to try them. I just read you blog Gina, and just found out you live about 30 minutes away from me or so. I live in Quebec in Hemmingford, you should come and visit, I would love to meet someone from this site. So far, all I could do is read about other people meeting and be jealous, lol.

Anyway, I will get the recipe from the store and post tomorrow.
Marie

Prairie Love: Ferber leaves the fruit halved but otherwise intact, and I think it's so beautiful that way. But mashing won't hurt a bit, and some folks may even prefer it that way.

ckknh: This is my first time making these two Ferber strawberry jams, I will admit, so I appreciate you sharing your expertise with the recipes. I can only go by the end result of what I made, but I assure everyone that ten peppercorns is NOT overpowering and does NOT throw the whole recipe out of balance. The jams I made were delicious, and you wouldn't even know the pepper was there if I didn't tell you. Obviously, if it worries folks, then they can stick to the five peppercorns for a subtler effect--each to his or her own tastes. Now as for the mint, I doubled it to ten leaves specifically for my friend who loves fruit with a TON of mint. I would not necessarily recommend everyone make it that way, because it certainly can tilt the balance. But my roommate loved it extra-minty by special request. Finally, I stand by my recommendation to use a good, aged balsamic in the strawberry-raspberry concoction. It doesn't have to be "hyper-expensive" as you say (a 30-year-old balsamic would, no doubt, be overpowering in the jam). But as the flavors are so concentrated when cooking the preserve, it shouldn't be low-end, crappy balsamic either (and there are a lot of those out there!). I used one in the medium range--imported, aged a little longer, somewhat thicker--and it made the resulting jam just OUT OF THIS WORLD flavor-wise! Those are just my opinions...for what they are worth.

Marie: 30 minutes?? Try SIX minutes!! I live in Sciota, which is a mere six miles from the Hemmingford border where I usually cross. I am a regular at the three greenhouses there (the one right after the border, and the two on Covey Hill Road), and also at the butcher (Viau). Once in awhile, on Fridays, I also like to hit the farmer's market at St-Chrysostome.

So...howdy, neighbor! :-) --Gina

Here is a link that might be useful: Lindsey's Luscious (my food blog)

YEahhhhh, a neighbor!!!!!!!!!!

If you come down, Gina, why don't you drop by. I have a shop too, in the village and I am there 7 days a week from 10 to 6pm, til the end of August, I am easy to find. It's called Yesteryear, general store, 477 Champlain (that is route 202)the one just north of the Covey Hill. I would love to meet you and we can discuss jams over a coffee. Drop by anytime!

marie

Have been considering making the Strawberry Raspberry Juice Balsamic Vinegar recipe. So, okay, I'm not being a true gourmet preserve maker, could you substitute pre-ground black pepper? I have peppercorns and a grinder, but I don't think it would grind them small enough and I hate to bite down on a peppercorn piece.

Sorry but pre-ground peppercorns will not be the same. The volatile oils in pepper start to break down soon after grinding so the only thing left in pre-ground is the heat. the subtle flavor of pepper would be missing.

-Robin

I use a brass coffee grinder. It holds the peppercorns on top and you turn the crank and it can give you a nice small/ to mediu grind like coffee. If I wanted a finer grind, I would adjust the round grater screw at the bottom to give it a finer grind. If you do plan to use peppercorns ground up, be sure to get some really flavorful ones. My last 16 ounces cost me about $12, and are really flavorful without being overly hot. Another spice, instead of pepper, is Grains of Paradise, or also named Aligator Pepper. This has a pepper taste too, bit none of the heat. They even use it in making apple pie filling (Alton Brown show).

I came up with a nice variation along these same lines-- reduced balsamic-orange strawberry jam, made with Pomona Pectin and only a little added sugar so it's nice and tart.

Recipe at my blog (see the link)

Here is a link that might be useful: Strawberry-orange balsamic jam

zemmaj ...please share your recipe...

Ok folks...I've been wanting that book since last winter so now you all have become my enablers...I just ordered it and I wanted free shipping so I ordered the other one someone mentioned...Gourmet Preserves Chez Madelaine figure I might as well get a free or almost free book than pay postage...so the last book only cost me $5...and it's all the fault of your postings here.

Yes, zemmaj, please do post that recipe!

Mabel

I've made strawberry/Cointreau jam just by adding 1/4 cup of Cointreau to my regular jam recipe at the end of the cooking time. Be careful and have a big pot, it's a volcano when that alcohol hits the hot jam!

I have a recipe that my mother wants me to try this year with strawberry juice and champagne. It should be interesting.

Annie

bump - falling off the last page - too many good recipes to let it go

Bump again. I'm going to try one of these.

My neighbor put up some Strawberry/fig Jalapeno jam last year. It was very tasty.

bump on an old thread!

i just canned a great experimental batch today: a "low sugar" strawberry jam with balsamic vinegar, black pepper, and cardamom. the cardamom was a variation on the wider-used balsamic/pepper recipe.

I basically made the recipe on the package of the Sure Jell Low Sugar pectin box, but with the following variations:

*mixed the fruit and sugar (half white/half brown) and let it macerate overnight

*strained and brought the syrup to a boil, then let the fruit sit in the boiled syrup most of the day

*then proceeded with the process on the Sure Jell box: added pectin, brought to full rolling boil for 1 min

*I added 4 tbs balsamic vinegar, about 1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper, and 2 tbs cardamom to the mixture while it boiled

then canned in a water bath like normal.

turned out super tasty!

Hi there folks, I just started making the strawberry jam recipe with the balsamic and ground pepper, but I accidentally added both during the initial step. Right now the berries are macerating with sugar, balsamic, and ground pepper. Will this still taste ok or should I do something to mitigate this mistake?