Remember when I promised you oodles of strawberry recipes because of the current strawberry madness down here? Well I haven’t forgotten, I promise! I currently have three recipes featuring these succulent berries lined up, starting with this knockout of a jam.
Have you ever tried roasting strawberries? OMG. I don’t even know where to start.
First off, I’ve got to say that I would honestly make this recipe just for the way it makes my house smell! I mean, strawberries, vanilla and balsamic caramelisation? COME ON. Can my house smell like that FOREVER, please?
As for the taste, this stuff is basically the very essence of strawberries. As they slowly roast, the flavours intensify and reduce, while the berries get sticky and almost candied like WHOA.
The best part is what a cheat this recipe is! There’s approximately 10 minutes of hands-on time, just to slice the fruit and prepare the ingredients, then the oven does all the hard work for you! It is pretty much the easiest, most stress-free, low-maintenance and laid–back jam recipe of all time, as well as being exceptionally healthy. Can I get a high five??
You might find the addition of balsamic vinegar to strawberries slightly odd, but let me tell you that it is one of the best combinations in existence. I first heard about this seemingly peculiar pairing from none other than the domestic goddess herself Nigella Lawson on one of her shows, where she said that it is a very traditionally Italian thing. I was so intrigued that I tried it that very same day and I have NEVER looked back. It is just one of those combos where the result is SO MUCH MORE than the sum of its parts! If you trust me even the slightest tiniest bit, I beg you to give it a try!
For the sweetener, I have made this recipe both with honey and sugar (I used raw sugar), and both were delicious and a great success. The version with honey just had an extra layer of honey flavour, so it is totally up to you! In either case, it is an incredibly small amount, which makes this a super low-sugar and virtuous jam (heaps less than my Low Sugar Plum Jam even!).
Make this beautifully sticky and shiny jam and swirl it into yoghurt, smear it on cake or toast or scones, or my favourite method of devouring it: dollop it onto a slice of sourdough piled with homemade (or not) Labneh! (Like I did here).
To be perfectly honest, I’ve been known to sneak large spoonfuls of this straight out of the jar when I’m after something tangy and sweet…heaven!
Stay tuned for more strawberry madness 
- • 1kg strawberries, halved
- • ⅓ cup of sugar (I used raw), or honey
- • 3 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
- • 1 vanilla pod
- Preheat oven to 130 degrees C (265F)
- In a large roasting pan, place the strawberries, sugar/honey and balsamic vinegar. Split the vanilla bean in half lengthways, scrape out the seeds with the tip of a sharp knife and add them to the pan. Throw in the pod as well. Toss everything together until well mixed, then set aside for 10-15 minutes for the sugar to dissolve & the berries to macerate and release their juices.
- Give everything one last toss, then roast in the oven for 2 hours, tossing occasionally until reduced, syrupy, shiny and darker in colour.
- To prepare a jar, pick a suitably sized jar (this recipe yields about 400-450ml of jam) and give it a good wash with warm soapy water and rinse well. Place the wet jar and its lid (unless the lid is plastic!) onto a baking sheet and place into the oven with the jam for the final 25 minutes of the roasting time. This will sterilize the jar without having to boil it (bonus!).
- At the end of the 2 hours, remove both the jam and the jar from the oven. Using a clean ladle or large spoon*, transfer the jam into the jar while they are both still hot, making sure you don’t touch the inside of sterilised jar with your fingers. Leave to cool then enjoy! This jam keeps for several weeks in the fridge.
