Strawberry Heaven Preserves

Layers of flavors step out one by one and take a bow to delight your senses in an unexpected way. This was a combination of experiment and accident rolled into one that has become a favorite. May sound like a weird combination and yet everything works together quite harmoniously. This is something you can take and play with I am sure. It is fun to share with friends who think it is strawberry jam and watch the expression that comes across their face as other flavors move forward to take center stage. This has been a fun one to share.

• Ready In: 1 hr 15 mins
• Yields: 1 pint

Ingredients

• 3 (16 ounce) containers fresh strawberries
• 1⁄2 cup maple syrup
• 2  tablespoons sugar
• 1  1/2  lemon, juice of
• 1 1⁄2 tablespoons  balsamic vinegar
• 1  tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1  tablespoon  vanilla powder
• 3  teaspoons dried basil
• 1  teaspoon ginger
• 3  squares godiva  milk chocolate
• 1  dash cayenne pepper (optional)

Directions

1. Rinse and clean stems from strawberries.
2. Dice strawberries into small pieces and place into 1 quart pan.
3. mix the rest of the ingredients in except for the chocolate.
4. use a potato masher to break the strawberries down a bit.
5. place over medium-low heat and stir constantly- mixture will be thin.
6. cook until reduced down to 1/3 original volume and thick - about 40 minutes.
7. turn off heat and stir in chocolate.
8. add dash of cayenne to just bring in a hint of heat.
9. cool and place in container in refridgerator.