STRAWBERRY VANILLA JAM

Steps:

• Combine the strawberries, vanilla beans, and 1 1/2 cups of the sugar in a large bowl. Mix well and let the mixture sit for at least 30 minutes, or until a puddle of juice forms at the bottom of the bowl, and up to several hours.
• Meanwhile, have ready 8 half-pint canning jars with 2-piece lids. Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat so that the water is barely bubbling. Immerse the pint jars in the pot. Place the rings and lids in a separate small saucepan and cover them with very hot, but not boiling, water. Leave the jars and lids immersed while you cook the jam. If you don't have a candy thermometer to tell you when the jam is done, place a small plate in the freezer.
• Transfer the fruit mixture and all of its juices to a large, wide pot set over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the strawberries are very soft, 25 to 30 minutes. Use a potato masher to break down the strawberries. Taste, and add additional sugar, 1/4 cup at a time, stirring to dissolve it, as needed. Fish out the vanilla beans and use a paring knife to scrape their seeds into the jam. Discard the beans.
• Continue cooking the mixture, stirring frequently to avoid scorching, until it reduces by about one-third and reaches 220°F on a candy thermometer, another 60 to 90 minutes. If you don't have a candy thermometer, remove the plate from the freezer and immediately spoon a teaspoon of jam onto it. Let it sit for a few minutes until the jam cools, then tilt the plate and see how much it runs. It will probably not wrinkle and get firm the way jams with more pectin would, but it should be thick and only slightly run. If it's too runny, continue cooking it down, stirring frequently, until it thickens further.
• While the jam is still hot, ladle it into the hot, sterilized canning jars, leaving about 1/4 inch of head space at the top. Remove any air bubbles by running a long, nonmetallic utensil, such as a chopstick or wooden skewer, around the edges of the jar between the jar and the jam. Top with the prepared lids, close tightly, and process for 5 minutes in a hot-water bath (submerge the jars by at least 1 to 2 inches of water). Let cool, undisturbed, to room temperature.
• Besides making that telltale ping when it seals, the lid of a properly sealed jar should be slightly concave and not move when touched; if the lid springs down and back when you press your finger in the center, the lid is not sealed. Process it again, or store the jar in the refrigerator instead of at room temperature. Store jars in a cool, dry place.