Strawberry Balsamic Jam

Strawberries and balsamic vinegar, who would have thought that this is a match made in culinary heaven?  I think that I might be coming late to the game on this duo, but let me tell you if you haven't tried this combination, I urge you to.  My husband-to-be and I recently went to our favorite pie shop here in Brooklyn, Four and Twenty Blackbirds. I decided upon their Strawberry Balsamic pie and I was completely floored at how amazing this combination tasted - it was slightly sweet due to the fresh strawberries while the balsamic added a depth that a strawberry couldn't impart by itself. I had picked up some strawberries at the Union Square Market over the weekend and decided to give a round of Strawberry Balsamic jam a try - it was delicious   I enjoyed it dolloped on some peanut butter toast for breakfast and it brought the idea of jam to a whole new level.  Stay tuned for a delicious recipe next week that incorporates this amazing jam.  Continue for more... 

 A Few Things: Since local strawberries are slowly creeping into fresh markets in the Northeast, I added less sugar since they were already incredibly sweet - feel free to adjust your sugar level to the taste of the berries.  When adding the balsamic start with one tablespoon at a time and taste it to see if you can achieve the right amount of balance.  

*All photographs by Alison

**Recipe from Pastry Affair