This would be a delightful, not overly sweet jam to serve with scones and clotted cream. The cherry blossoms, which are pickled and dried in salt to preserve them, can be ordered online from Nihon Ichiban.
Ingredients
- 1 pkg (30g) pickled cherry blossoms - shake gently to remove salt
- 4 cups fresh or frozen strawberries, hulled and sliced
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1½ tsp pectin
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
About this recipe
Preparation
Pour cold water over cherry blossoms, 
steep for 15 minutes, then strain and rinse. Remove stems. Place petals in a bowl and add enough cold water to cover them. Cover and chill for at least six hours or overnight.
Sterilize your canning jars: Place them in a large canning pot filled about two-thirds full with water; bring to a boil. Boil for at least 10 minutes and keep hot while you make the jam
Instructions
Lightly mash strawberries in a bowl or saucepan. In a separate bowl, whisk together sugar and pectin until evenly mixed.
Pour berries into a large, heavy saucepan and stir in cherry blossoms, ½ cup of the soaking liquid and lemon juice. Bring to a full rolling boil, stirring occasionally.
Whisk in sugar and pectin, stirring until completely dissolved and mixture returns to a full boil. Remove from heat and ladle jam into hot jars, leaving ¼ inch of headspace. Wipe jar rims and screw on lids.
Bring water in canning pot back to a boil and process the jars in boiling water for 10 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. They are sealed when they “pop.” Any unsealed jars should be refrigerated and used within two weeks.
