Strawberry-Tarragon Jam Recipe

By
Lucy Baker
Lucy Baker
Lucy Baker is a food writer, publisher, and author of two cookbooks: The Boozy Baker: 75 Recipes for Spirited Sweets and Edible DIY: Simple, Giftable Recipes to Savor and Share. In addition to her columns on Serious Eats, she has written for The Journal News, Westchester Magazine, and her blog, Turnip the Oven.
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Updated April 11, 2019
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Lucy Baker

Open my refrigerator's crisper drawer and you will likely find bright green bunches of basil, cilantro, and flat-leaf parsley, as well as a few wayward sprigs of rosemary or thyme. When I cook, a dish is never finished until I've added a shower of fresh herbs. My latest obsession is fresh tarragon. Its vibrant, licorice-like flavor is a perfect match for summer produce. Here it provides an unexpected twist on classic strawberry jam.

Adding a small handful of chopped fresh herbs is a great way to enliven your favorite jam recipes. If you make the same rhubarb jam every spring, why not add a little lavender? Or throw some basil into your annual batch of peach preserves. No matter what the combination, you really can't go wrong. Fresh herbs add a note of complexity and a surprising pop of flavor. For maximum effect, stir them into your jam at the last minute, right before you ladle it into jars.

This strawberry-tarragon jam has hints of anise and lemon. Try pairing it with goat cheese or use it as a filling between shortbread cookies. This recipe yields about four and half jars. Give four as gifts and keep the half-jar for yourself—trust me, you'll want to dig in right away.

Recipe Details

Strawberry-Tarragon Jam Recipe

Active 60 mins
Total 90 mins
Makes 4 jars
Cook Mode (Keep screen awake)

Ingredients

  • 3 cups sugar
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons Pomona's Universal Pectin
  • 4 cups coarsely chopped strawberries (from about 2 pints)
  • 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 3 teaspoons calcium water (included in the Pomona's packet)
  • 1/4 teaspoon unsalted butter
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh tarragon

Directions

  1. Whisk sugar and pectin a medium bowl and set aside.

  2. Combine strawberries, lemon juice, calcium water, and butter in a large, heavy-bottomed pot and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the honey and the sugar-pectin mixture and return the fruit mixture to a boil, stirring constantly. Boil hard for one minute.

  3. Remove pot from the heat and skim any foam from the surface of the jam with a cold metal spoon. Stir in tarragon. Ladle the jam into hot sterilized jars and process them in a hot water bath for 10 minutes.

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