We used this preserve in our Matcha Green Tea Petit Fours for our Bake 2 the Future Tea Party. The sweetness of the strawberries is countered nicely by the tanginess of the vinegar and it finishes with a slight spice, a complex and mouth-watering flavor.

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Strawberry Balsamic Preserves with Crushed Black Pepper
 
Complex and mouth-watering.
Ingredients
  • 1 quart fresh strawberries, reamed and sliced
  • 2 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  • ½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper (to taste)
Instructions
  1. Place strawberries and sugar in a sauce pan and cook on medium heat until you achieve the thickness desired.
  2. Add balsamic vinegar and black pepper, you may add more or less according to taste.
  3. If you prefer a smoother texture you can food process the mixture.
Notes
We cooked this twice. The first time we didn't get it quite thick enough, which became obvious after letting it set-up in the fridge. We decided to cook it again when we realized it was too thin for our purpose; first, we ran it through the food processor and strained it through a sieve. We decided to return the strained strawberries back into the pan with the liquid, but if you prefer a smoother texture you could remove it, but we believe that this is part of what made the preserves thick without adding pectin and copious amounts of sugar.