Peppered Strawberry Jam

Level up your breakfast with Peppered Strawberry Jam! It's easy to make with only five ingredients and no pectin, adding a delightful medley of sweetness and spice to your toast!

One of my favorite comfort foods I often indulge in is a midday snack of toasted peanut butter and strawberry jam sandwich with an icy-cold Diet Coke to wash all the sweet, gooey goodness down. It is a simple treat yet one of the best pleasures on earth. 🙂

And, of course, nothing beats homemade jam on toast to wake up to in the morning! It tastes much better than store-bought with less artificial flavorings and is a great way to savor the flavor of strawberries year-round.

Along with mango jam, easy yema spread, and coconut jam, I like to whip up this fruit concoction every chance I get.  It's a simple project that takes only five ingredients and less than an hour to make. I get to stash a few jars to satisfy my cravings and look like the heroine every holiday. A festive ribbon tied on the jars turns them into unique homemade gifts for all the family and friends on my Christmas list.

Peppered strawberry jam ingredients

• Strawberries - berries at the height of their freshness and sweetness are best! Use fresh, quality fruit that is free of bruising and signs of spoiling, wilting, or shriveling. If you can, buy organic berries.
• Sugar - do NOT reduce the amount called for in the recipe. The sugar not only acts as a sweetener but also helps thicken the jam by binding to the water in the fruit, which might otherwise prevent the jam from setting.
• Lemon juice - the acid in the citrus juice balances the sweetness of the sugar, while its high-pectin content helps the jam thicken and gel.
• Butter - a knob of butter will help reduce or eliminate foaming.
• Black Pepper - use freshly ground for best results. You can omit it if you like a more traditional strawberry jam, but it does provide a delicious contrast to the strawberries' sweetness. It's a weird combination that works!

How to make peppered strawberry jam

1. Combine strawberries, sugar, and lemon juice in a saucepan over low heat. Cook until sugar is completely dissolved before bringing the strawberry mixture to a boil to keep the sugar from crystallizing and the jam to become grainy.
2. Bring the mixture to a hard boil for about 8 to 10 minutes.
3. Test for setting. Place a small saucer in the freezer for about 5 minutes. Spoon a small amount of jam on the cold plate, leave for about 30 seconds, and use the index finger to push in the jam. If it wrinkles and does not flood back to fill in the gap, it's ready. 
4. Remove scum. When the setting point is reached, skim off any scum that floats on top. Or add a knob of butter to dissolve the scum.
5. Remove from heat and add pepper. Stir to combine. Allow the jam to settle for about 15 minutes to prevent the fruit from rising to the top.
6. Transfer into clean, sterilized jars, leaving about ¼ inch headspace. Close the tight-fitting lid.

Serving suggestions

• Spread on pandesal, toast, muffins, scones, or crackers.
• Stir into plain yogurt or cottage cheese for flavoring.
• Use it as an easy fruit topping for waffles or pancakes.
• Add to sauces such as in Filipino pork BBQ or use on roast pork or chicken as a glaze.
• Use as filling for layered cakes or sandwich cookies.

Storage instructions

This is a refrigerator jam and needs to refrigerated for food safety and consumed within a few weeks. It should last for up to one month stored properly at 40 F or lower. Check for signs of spoilage such as ill-odor or mold growth.