Last Wednesday, I had the pleasure of attending a class at the Charleston Academy of Domestic Pursuits, specifically “Jamming and Pickling 101”.  Not only was it inspiring and informative, it was a blast.

Lee Manigault and Suzanne Pollak, aka “The Deans”, teach one how to properly live and entertain in one’s home.  They hold various classes once or twice a month in either of their fabulous homes, ahem, Town & Country Magazine, (or a “student’s” home) in downtown Charleston.  Please note, these ladies don’t employ a catering staff or even a private chef; they can cook, like, really cook.  And they are very, very funny.  In fact, the Deans have written a book to be published by Stewart Tabori & Chang next spring, and I can just tell it is going to be wildly successful – maybe even New York Times Best Seller List successful…

On to the jamming and pickling and jellying and preserving and conserving!

The Situation: a last minute dinner party – at your house.  My worst nightmare, actually.  I love to entertain, but my neurosis gets the best of me and I don’t have the confidence to pull it together without a complete grocery trip for a complete, cohesive, well-planned, three-course meal.  These are just the ladies to get me to snap out of it, because I know no one, especially me, enjoys this neurotic version of myself.

The Solution: a store-bought rotisserie chicken from Whole Foods, some quick, simple pasta and, well, pickles.  It sounds strange, but just trust them.  Okay….

Well, I’ll be damned.  Just look at how sophisticated pickles can look if you pull out your good china and silver.

See, because you took a pickling class, you had all of this prepared food in your fridge!  Pickled garlic to use in the pasta, pickled beets, cucumber, and watermelon rinds as a side as well as a pickled tomato & watermelon-feta salad.  Oh, and since you made strawberry preserves and jam a few weeks ago, you just decided to dump them into a pie crust and called it a day.  NBD.

And now for a recipe straight from the Deans’ blog:

Strawberry Jam with Balsamic Vinegar and Black Pepper
Black pepper with strawberries? Have the Deans lost their minds? Have the years of pursuing domestic bliss rendered them gaga? No. One taste of this jam tells you, what at first glance seems preposterous, is upon tasting, sheer brilliance. The balsamic only deepens the strawberry flavor and is the anchor for this orchestra of taste sensations. If you don’t agree, the Deans will hang up their aprons.

5 cups sugar
8 cups whole Farmer’s market strawberries or ones you’ve picked yourself
1 tablespoon lemon juice 
2-½ tablespoons balsamic vinegar
½ teaspoon black pepper

Place 16 4-ounce mason jars in a large and deep saucepan or stockpot that is at least 3 inches deeper than the height of the jars. Cover and bring water to a simmer over medium heat. Do not boil.

Take 8 two-piece lids and set the screw bands to the side. Place lids in a saucepan and cover with water. Heat to simmer, do not boil. Keep lids warm until ready to use. Do not heat screw bands.

Measure sugar in a bowl so it can added all at once.

Wash strawberries in a colander. Drain, remove hulls and start crushing the strawberries in a large bowl using a potato masher. This can be done in batches. You will need 5 ½ cups. (Strawberries get a bit smaller as they are crushed.)

Put the crushed strawberries in a large stockpot. Add the lemon, vinegar and pepper and bring to a boil. When boiling vigorously, add sugar all at once and return to a boil, stirring frequently. Boil one more minute.

Take pot off heat and skim off foam using a slotted stainless steel spoon.

Ladle in prepared mason jars leaving ¼ inch headspace. Wipe jar rim with a clean damp cloth or paper towel. Using a pair of tongs, lift hot lid from the water and center it on a jar. Place screw band on jar, and with your fingers screw band on top of lid.

Bring to room temperature. Refrigerate. Keeps for two months. Jam-licious.

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