Strawberry Jam with Basil and Balsamic Vinegar

I'm a beginner at making jam, but I was encouraged and motivated by Polka's post, so I decided to make my very own jam, with a combination I really love. Strawberries, basil and balsamic vinegar are, for me, a very sensual and unusual flavor. And that's exactly how this jam turned out. If you have doubts about adding basil and vinegar to jam... no, they don't overpower the taste of the strawberries. They rather give the whole thing aroma, color and depth of flavor.

I don't know if my whole attempt, my methods, etc. are correct, but I'm happy that I managed to create such a wonderful flavor. Too bad I have only one jar (luckily a slightly bigger one).

While you're at it, I also recommend the delicious rhubarb-strawberry jam.

strawberry jam with basil and balsamic vinegar

Ingredients:

(makes about 300 ml of jam)

• 500 g strawberries
• 6-8 basil leaves
• zest of ½ lemon
• 120 g cane sugar
• 50 g white sugar
• juice of ½ lemon
• 1-2 tbsp dark balsamic vinegar (I use Mazzetti)
• a few drops of vanilla extract (optional)

Wash the strawberries, hull them and cut them in half. Mix them with the basil leaves (stems are fine too) and the grated lemon zest, sprinkle with the cane sugar and set aside for about 2 hours.

When the strawberries have released their juice, make a caramel from the white sugar in a pot. Add the fruit along with its juice, squeeze in the lemon juice and mix well, heating the whole time so the caramel dissolves evenly. Cook, stirring often, until you get the right consistency (I like my jams very thick), then add the balsamic vinegar and vanilla, stir and take the pot off the burner. Transfer into sterilized jars, close the lids, turn the jars upside down and let them cool.

Additional information:

For sterilizing the jars and optional pasteurizing, I recommend the oven method, which is mentioned, among others, by Bea.

Enjoy!