Prepare a boiling water bath canner and 3 half pint jars.

Chop the strawberries. Place them in a non-reactive 12 inch skillet and add the sugar. Stir to combine and let the berries sit until the sugar looks damp the fruit has started to weep liquid.

Place the pan over high heat and bring to a boil.

Cook, stirring regularly, until the berries soften and the liquid bubbles and thickens. It should take between 15 and 20 minutes of cooking.

Towards the end of cooking, stir in the balsamic vinegar.

The jam is done when you can pull a spatula through it and it doesn't rush as quickly to fill the space.

Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the black pepper.

Funnel the finished jam into the prepared jars. Wipe the rims, apply the lids and rings, and process them in a boiling water bath canner for 10 minutes.

When the time is up, remove the jars from the canner and set them on a folded kitchen towel to cool.