i woke up at 7:30 yesterday morning, rolled out of bed, washed my hands and started experimenting with jam.
strawberry with black pepper has been on my mind ever since i tried a german gummie candy with blackberry and black pepper a couple of years ago.
i was apprehensive about getting started, the likely hood of it tasting like black pepper-encrusted-something-’er-other seemed pretty high.
i pulled a pound of strawberries from the freezer that i got from Localvorious and set them to cook. i stood looking at the fuit as it began to release its juice, a slightly dumb look on my face, trying to figure out how much ground black pepper to add.
i started small and gradually trippled the original amount i put in. dipped my tasting spoon into the pot and took a slurp. mmm, strawberry. suddenly, but gradually the rich flavor of black pepper began to come to the surface. it really adds a wonderful complexity to the simple fruit and sugar. the flavor built slowly and finished with a slight picant kick.
after letting it cool briefly, i took it down the street to zingerman’s to have some friends taste. everyone really seemed to like it.
i asked my friend emily, who has been the chocolate manager at zing for the last few years, to have a blind taste. she has an amazing palate and a serious mind. she slurped and continually brought air in to her mouth. “mmm, black pepper,” her face lit up, “this tastes like vampire’s lunch!” (the german gummie i mentioned earlier).
my eyes literally started welling with tears. i nailed it, and she liked it! i don’t ever again expect to to get it right on the first try.
keep an eye out for this odd little pairing of flavors, i think you’ll like it.
-e.
