Jammin’ with Jaime: Strawberry Balsamic Jam Recipe

So by now all y’all Prudent people must have noticed, wether here on Pretty Prudent, or via our facebook and instagram feeds, that I have become a jam and jelly making enthusiast. This time around, I wanted to make a jam that I could use on my daughter’s PB&J sandwiches (preservative free! homemade! not too wacky in the flavor department!), but that was also sophisticated enough for my husband’s nightly cheese plate (yes, he looks like that even though he eats a plate of cheese every night, don’t even get me started).

I decided to work on a strawberry balsamic jam recipe, and I am glad I did. This jam is sweet enough for the kids, but with an added depth that makes it ideal on a piece of french bread with a slice of parmesan or sharp white cheddar.

Even Gordon agrees, Strawberry Balsamic Jam is a win.

I gave you the full play-by-play with step-by-step photography on my Blackberry Basil Jam recipe, so this time I’m going to share the Strawberry Balsamic Jam recipe after the jump…

This recipe makes about 64 ounces of jam, depending on the size of your strawberries.

Strawberry Balsamic Jam Ingredients
Approx 4 pints strawberries
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar (try to use a really good, thick one)
1/4 tea butter
4 tbls pectin (I used Ball Realfruit Classic Pectin)
7 cups sugar

Strawberry Balsamic Jam Instructions
I use my Ball® FreshTECH Automatic Jam & Jelly Maker. I love this thing. You can make jam on the stove but it requires so much standing there and stirring. With this thing you can add the ingredients, then leave the kitchen and return to perfect jam and jelly. But if you don’t have one you can still totally make this on your stove.

Rinse and hull your strawberries. In a large bowl, crush them using a potato masher (it helps to do this in layers, like I show in detail here in my Blackberry Basil Jam Recipe).

Add butter (this is just to help reduce foaming).

Add balsamic.

Sprinkle the pectin powder on the bottom of your jam and jelly maker (or follow the stove instructions on your particular brand of pectin).

Add the strawberry mixture.

If using the jam maker, turn it on and let it mix for four minutes until it beeps, then add the sugar. If not using the jam maker, follow the instructions on your pectin for when to add the sugar. This is usually right after your mixture reaches a rolling boil.

Let the jam maker run on the jam setting (for 24 minutes) and it will do all your stirring for you. If you are using the stove you just have to stand and stir, but the timing will probably be shorter, check your pectin packaging for instructions for that particular brand of pectin.

When your jam is done, skim the foam off the top and preserve it by either placing in the fridge, freezing, or canning. For instructions on how to can jam/jelly (it’s so easy) go to this post and follow the same steps (which are sterilize your jars and lids, pour jelly into jars, add lids and rings, then boil for ten minutes and let sit overnight).

Remember, the jam won’t be “jelled” right off the stove/jam maker, it will need to set. Newbies to jam making sometimes get confused and think it will be perfectly done right off the stove, but it needs to cool first.