For bright strawberry flavor with a little something extra, it is hard to beat these strawberry balsamic preserves.
Made with only three ingredients, you will want to enter your state fair’s jam competition with this, and you just might win!
You may also want to take a look at my mixed berry jam, which sees strawberries joining forces with both raspberries and blueberries.
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For ease of browsing, find all my condiment and jams recipes in one place. Let’s get straight to it.
Five stars absolutely. Dramatic clear color, stunningly deep, bright flavor and
Reader Diane
the taste has just the right amount of “je ne sais quoi ” to the product. The mystery
of the balsamic vinegar will be kept!! sssssshhhhhhhh.
At a Glance
✅Skill Level: Beginner
✅Skills: Dicing Fruit, Simmering
✅Type: Fruit Preserve
✅Number of Ingredients: 3
✅Prep Time: 5 minutes
✅Cook Time: 30 minutes
✅Yield: 1 pint
Jump Straight to the Recipe
Tasting Notes
When I first tasted these preserves after my first recipe test, I knew I didn’t need any further testing. It is almost shocking how fruity, sweet, and tangy these preserves are.
Think of your favorite strawberry jam, and then add the sweet tang of vinegar, and that will approximate what to expect from this recipe.
If this sounds like a winner to you and you end up making it, please do me a quick favor, if you would.
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Ingredients and Substitutions
I made a collage for you, and it just looks like it’s missing something. But I promise, there really are only three ingredients!
- strawberries: Fresh strawberries are the name of the game. They will hold their shape during cooking and, more importantly, will be easy to cut into pieces before you start cooking
- granulated sugar: Provides the bulk of the sweetness and allows a syrup to form
- balsamic vinegar: Deepens the flavor and color while adding a beautiful tangy element. If you want the tang and a brighter color, use white balsamic vinegar instead
Procedure
If you’ve made preserves before and don’t need additional instruction, you can head straight to the recipe.
For the rest of you, let’s walk through the procedure which is really pretty straightforward.
First, slice your berries into reasonable pieces. I went with roughly 1/2″ dice. The size you cut them is entirely up to you. I cut huge strawberries in about 12 pieces and smaller berries into around 6-8 pieces. If you have some very small berries, you can even leave them whole.
Once you have your berries cut up how you want them, the rest is easy. I weigh the sugar and balsamic directly into the pot with the berries.
Heat over lowest heat for 30 minutes, let the mixture sit at room temperature for an hour or two if you have the time. Otherwise, after 30 minutes, increase the heat to medium, and bring everything to a boil.
Reduce the heat to maintain a low boil/high simmer, and skim off any brownish balsamic scum and reddish foamy stuff from the berries.
Cook the fruit until the syrup reaches 223F. This is the Magic Jam-And-Preserves Temperature. It will yield a thick syrup so it won’t run all over the place. And in jams, it gives you the ability to spread it out and have it stay put without the need for pectin.
Here’s the instant-read thermometer I use and love:
- Small probe won't make huge holes in your food
- Accurate and fast readings
- Results in either Fahrenheit or Celcius
- Display is backlit for easy readings
- Probe folds away for easy storage
Here’s a little photo collage for you:
Jenni Says: This jam gets very foamy when cooking, so take time and skim off as much of it as you can, leaving as much syrup as possible in the pan. There was a LOT more foam to be skimmed off than what I show in this photo.
Recipe Variations (Make It Fancy)
Strawberry balsamic preserves are already pretty fancy, but you could always add an herbal element such as basil or a judicious amount of rosemary.
Adding a bit of black pepper will lend a bit of a bite on the back end, and adding a bit of minced chipotle will yield a smoky, spicy preserve.
For a brigher version of this flavor profile (strawberry and balsamic) see my juicy strawberry syrup recipe. You can also use these preserves in my strawberry balsamie brownie recipe.
A Little Preserves Q & A
Jams are made with mashed fruit, and preserves are made from either whole fruit or fruit cut in large dice. While jam is a more-or-less consistent blend of spreadable fruit, a preserve consists of pieces of fruit suspended in a thick syrup.
The jam will taste a bit more “cooked” and less like fresh strawberries. It will also be a bit thicker and the syrup will be stickier. It will not be the end of the world if you take it to 225F, but 223F is the magic number, especially for a preserve or jam made without added pectin.
Keep tightly covered and refrigerated, and your preserves will stay good for about 4 weeks. I imagine you will finish them well before, though.
Questions?
If you have any questions about this post or recipe, I am happy to help.
Simply leave a comment here and I will get back to you soon. I also invite you to ask question in my Facebook group, Fearless Kitchen Fun.
If your question is more pressing, please feel free to email me. I should be back in touch ASAP, as long as I’m not asleep.
A Note About Measurements
My recipes are almost all written by weight, including liquids, unless otherwise specified.
For accuracy and consistency of results, I encourage you to buy–and use–a kitchen scale.
I promise that baking and cleanup will be so much quicker and easier.
This is the scale that I recommend for home use. I have owned and used one for years.
Don't let its small price and small size fool you. The Escali Primo is an accurate and easy-to-use food scale that I have used for years. It's easy to store, easy to use, has a tare function, and easily switches between grams and ounces/pounds for accurate measurements.
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Strawberry Balsamic Preserves
Ingredients
- 16 oz fresh strawberries 1/2" dice, 454 grams or 2 pints
- 12 oz granulated sugar 340 grams or about 1 3/4 cups
- 4 oz balsamic vinegar not balsamic glaze, 113 grams or 1/2 cup
Instructions
- Wash, top, and dice the strawberries into roughly 1/2" dice.
- Add the sugar and vinegar, and heat over the lowest heat for 30 minutes. This will be enough time to dissolve the sugar and get it hot without boiling. Stir well.
- If you have the time, remove from heat and let the berry mixture sit at room temperature for an hour or two. If not, carry on.
- After the rest (or not), heat over medium heat until the berries come to a boil. Reduce the heat to keep at a gentle boil, skimming as much scum from the preserves as you can.
- Continue to boil gently, stirring frequently but gently so you don't break up the pieces of strawberry, until the temperature reaches 223F.
- Pour the preserves into a 16 oz jar or two 8 oz jars. Cool to room temperature and then store in the fridge for up to 4 weeks.
Did You Make Any Changes?
Notes
Make Jam Instead
If you prefer jam to preserves, cut berries in half or leave them whole, and heat them with the balsamic and sugar, mashing the berries as completely as you want as they soften. All other instructions remain the same, but your result will be a thick jam of spreadable texture rather than small chunks of fruit in syrup.Nutrition
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five stars absolutely. Dramatic clear color, stunningly deep, bright flavor and
the taste has just the right amount of “je ne sais quoi ” to the product. The mystery
of the balsamic vinegar will be kept!! sssssshhhhhhhh. Joy, Diane
I could not be more thrilled that you love it! ❤️