Bacon and Onion Jam

This rich sweet and savoury jam is just delicious served with mature cheddar, cold meats or spooned over cream cheese bagels.

Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
1 1/2 hours
Servings
  • 900g Smoked Back Bacon (finely chopped) 900g Smoked Back Bacon (finely chopped)
  • 4 Onions (finely chopped) 4 Onions (finely chopped)
  • 3 Garlic Cloves, Finely Chopped 3 Garlic Cloves, Finely Chopped
  • 1/2 tsp Dried Chilli Flakes 1/2 tsp Dried Chilli Flakes
  • 1 Tbsp Fresh Thyme (chopped) 1 Tbsp Fresh Thyme (chopped)
  • 200ml Cider Vinegar 200ml Cider Vinegar
  • 300g Tate and Lyle Fairtrade Jam Sugar 300g Tate and Lyle Fairtrade Jam Sugar

Instructions

HOW TO MAKE THIS RECIPE

  1. Preheat two large non-stick frying pans, add half of the bacon to each and gently fry for 20-25 minutes until perfectly crisp. Tip into a sieve set over a bowl and allow to drain. If you don’t have two pans then simply cook in batches.
  2. Meanwhile, using 1 tbsp of the bacon fat, gently cook the onion in a large preserving pan or heavy based saucepan for 20 minutes, string occasionally until perfectly softened and translucent. Add the garlic, chilli flakes and thyme and cook for 3 minutes.
  3. Add the cider vinegar, sugar, all of the drained cooked bacon and 500ml water. Bring to the boil, stirring all the time until the sugar dissolves. Gently simmer for 1 hour, stirring often until thickened and jammy.
  4. Allow to sit for 10 minutes before decanting into warm sterilised jars. Seal whilst hot and then store for up to four weeks in the fridge.

Chef's Tip

Classic bacon jam recipes often use strong black coffee to add colour and a rich, intense savoury flavour to the jam. If you’d like to give it a try, substitute 250ml of the water for fresh black coffee.

Have you tried the coffee version of this recipe yet?