Strawberry Mint Black Pepper Jam

Okay, so this jam may sound a little strange to you. It certainly sounded strange to me - but I'm typically drawn to the unusual. The pepper and mint give this strawberry jam a very complex (dare I say fancy?) flavor. You taste that something is different, but if you didn't know exactly what it was, you may not be able to quite put your finger on it. I had it this morning on homemade toasted bread I purchased at our local rendezvous yesterday. My husband and I look forward to the rendezvous every year. Patrons dress up as French Settlers and Indians, have reenactments, play music, and set up shops and tee-pees to sell and barter handmade goods. It's this nerdy girls dream come true. 

 "Rendezvous is a re-creation of the traditional French fur trapper’s holiday of the Eighteenth Century, and is one of the oldest and largest events of its kind in the United States. Join with the buckskinners, militiamen, artisans, and entertainers as they celebrate life in the shadows of the great fortress known as Fort De Chartres."

That quote is from the official Rendezvous at Fort De Chartres website, which you can visit here. If you happen to live in the Southern Illinois area and have never been to the Rendezvous at Fort De Chartres, GO! It's a very neat experience. Someday, I would love to be a part of it. Perhaps I can sell jam or honey (have I mentioned bee-keeping is on my list of to-do's? It seems to be pretty much all I talk about these days).

Back to the jam. It really is divine. IF you're a little hesitant about making an entire batch of this unusual (but very, very tasty) jam, remember you can always halve the recipe. It would make a wonderful birthday gift, Christmas gift, Tuesday gift, etc. 

Strawberry Mint Black Pepper Jam

makes 6 half-pint jars

5 c. Crushed Strawberries
1 pkg (OR 3 Tbsp.) Ball Low Sugar Pectin
2 1/4 c. Sugar
4 Tbsp. Lemon Juice

20 cranks of black pepper corn (from a pepper corn grinder)

10 Large Mint Leaves, finely chopped (I used Sweet Mint)

Prepare jars, and lids. Combine strawberries and lemon juice in a 6- or 8-quart saucepan. Whisk in pectin. Bring mixture to a full rolling boil that can not be stirred down, over high heat, stirring constantly. Add entire measure of sugar, stirring to dissolve. Return mixture to a full rolling boil. Boil hard 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Skim foam if necessary. Ladle hot jam into hot jars leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Wipe rim. Center lid on jar. Apply band until fit is fingertip tight. Process in a boiling water canner for 10 minutes. Remove lid and let stand in canner for additional 5 minutes. Remove jars, cool, and store.