First Step: Rinse and hull the fresh strawberries carefully, then chop them to your desired size for the best texture in the final jam. classic red velvet cake often uses similar fruit handling for great results.

Second Step: Mix the strawberries, granulated sugar, and lemon juice in a large pot over medium heat, stirring occasionally to help everything dissolve.

Third Step: Add the scraped vanilla bean seeds and pod to the pot, letting them infuse their flavor as the mixture heats up.

Fourth Step: Bring it to a gentle boil, then lower the heat to simmer; cook for about 20-25 minutes while stirring frequently until the jam thickens nicely.

Fifth Step: Take out the vanilla bean pod and check if the jam is ready by spooning some onto a chilled plate; if it wrinkles when you push it, you’re good to go.

Final Step: Pour the hot jam into clean jars, seal them up, and let them cool before popping them in the fridge or freezer. You can tweak this for dietary needs, like using vegan sugar swaps.