Our home city recently lost a culinary institution. One of their specials was to serve their grilled cheese sandwich with what they called “balsamic jam”. I never had their grilled cheese, and their “balsamic jam” was actually “balsamic jelly” made by adding balsamic vinegar to grape jelly in a 1:3 ratio of vinegar to jelly.

This is my tribute to that. It’s not the same, but it is absolutely delicious paired with grilled cheese, poured over cream cheese, or on toast!

3 cups balsamic vinegar (700ml / 24fl oz)

2 cups grape juice (16fl oz / 475ml)

1 cup water (240ml / 8fl oz)

1lb / 450g sugar, reserve about 1/2 cup

10 allspice berries

2tsp vanilla flavour

3 cloves

2 star anise

2tbsp lemon juice

2tsp calcium water

2tsp Pomona’s Universal Pectin Powder

Put the first 9 ingredients in a pot. Bring it to an active simmer, not boiling. Switch it off and come back to the mix the next day.

Strain out the spices. Add the 2tsp calcium water to the mix. Bring to a boil. Stir the pectin into the reserved sugar and stir vigorously to incorporate.

Makes about 7 cups of jelly.