Bacon Jam

I have a confession. I am not on board with the bacon trend. I do not think EVERYTHING is better wrapped in bacon. I know this is an unpopular opinion around here. I mean, is there anything more American than being obsessed with bacon? My brother even informed us when we were planning our wedding that he wouldn’t attend if our cocktail hour didn’t offer bacon-wrapped scallops, his favorite hor d’oeuvre. (He was joking, obviously.) So when I first heard of bacon jam awhile back, on a menu somewhere I think, I thought 💭 ‘Ugh… and here it is, another perfectly good dish that people felt the need to add bacon to so they can be cool and bacon-centric.’

I still feel this way – I’m looking at you Bloody Mary with four strips of bacon hanging out, bacon sprinkled donuts, and chocolate-covered bacon👀 BUT… I have definitely been convinced when it comes to bacon jam. I think I thought bacon jam was like regular jam (ie: raspberry or strawberry) with bacon bits stirred in. Which, in case you were wondering, is NOT what bacon jam actually is. It’s a sweet and savory spread, with just as much of a caramelized onion flavor as a bacon flavor. The use du jour is on top of a gourmet burger, but I think it’s much better used on foods that don’t already have meat in them. Hence, we made some bacon jam to slather on our Cheddar & Shallot Skillet Scones. Such a good decision! I’m already dreaming about bacon jam grilled cheeses, scrambled eggs topped with bacon jam, and adding bacon jam to my cheese & crackers regimen. But you do you, put this stuff on whatever you want!

Bacon Jam

(Adapted from this recipe)

Ingredients: 

• 1 lb bacon
• 2 large Vidalia onions, sliced
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 5+ turns fresh ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar

Instructions: 

1. In a large skillet, cook all of the bacon until slightly crispy. Remove to the side. Retain enough grease to coat the bottom of the pan, but discard any in excess.
2. Cook onions, topped with salt and pepper, over medium-low heat for ~1 hour, until fully caramelized. Stir every 10 minutes or so, scraping up any onions stuck to the pan.
3. Once onions are caramelized, deglaze the pan with the vinegar. Scrape up all the brown, delicious bits. Now stir in the sugar. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 6-8 minutes, until thickened.
4. Remove from heat and allow to cool for ~15 minutes. Then combine the onion mixture and the bacon in food processor. Pulse to desired consistency – we like it well-combined, but with some chunks remaining.
5. Refrigerate when not in use.

Makes ~1 1/2 cups