Week 6 Bacon Week Winner – “Bacon Jam”
16 Comments | Written on October 18, 2011 at 5:00 am , by Kristina Vanni
Take a moment and contemplate this:
Bacon Jam
That’s right, it’s jam…made with BACON. Essentially a sweet, smokey, savory spread that opens up infinite pork possibilities.
At first the idea of a bacon jam might sound a bit jarring. (Pun not intended, but totally acknowledged as I type…)
All I can say is, you have to give it a try! Besides on a slice of toasted baguette, it can be added to grilled cheese, burgers or baked potatoes. Bacon jam is definitely a hot food trend as it has even popped up on Top Chef.
Our latest weekly winner, Julie Merriman, has captured magic in a jar with her winning recipe. Take a look at the recipe and then read all about this passionate home cook!
BACON JAM (click here to view and print recipe)
1 lb Good Quality Smoked Bacon – Cut Into Lardons
1 Large Onion – Small Diced
1 Large Red Bell Pepper- Small Diced
5 cloves Garlic, minced
1 cup Brewed Coffee
1/4 cup Apple Cider Vinegar
1/4 cup Maple Syrup
3 Tbsp Packed Brown Sugar
3 Tbsp Garlic Chili Sauce
1 Tbsp Red Wine Vinegar
1 tsp Ground Allspice
1 Tbsp Ground Cardamom
1/4 tsp Smoked Spanish Paprika
Directions:
In a large skillet, cook bacon until browned and crispy, stirring often. Remove with slotted spoon to paper towel-lined plate; set aside. Discard all but 2 tablespoons fat from the skillet; add the onion, red pepper, and garlic and cook over medium heat until caramelized, 10 to 12 minutes. Return the bacon to the pan and add all remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil and reduce to a low simmer. Simmer over low heat stirring occasionally to prevent sticking for about 2 hours or until it has a thick, jam-like consistency and deep rich brown color. Cool slightly. Transfer to food processor and pulse for several seconds to finely chop and blend the jam. Serve with toasted baguette slices.
Julie says, “I created this recipe for this contest - I wanted to do something very different with bacon. I had a recipe for an onion marmalade that I loved, so I decided to add some bacon, make a few changes and voila – I like it even better than the original recipe! I think this recipe stood out first and foremost due to curiosity. The judges had to be curious as to what exactly is “Bacon Jam.”
Categories:
Better Recipes, Celebrations and Parties, Holidays, Sweet Tooth, Tips and Tricks | Tags: Dips and Spreads
16 Comments | Post Your Comment
16 Responses to “Week 6 Bacon Week Winner – “Bacon Jam””
Bacon is incredible. It is the best food out there. King of Food!
Testing!
I would love to test to! How do I get on board the test train?
Is this recipe able to be processed and sealed to be used later. Or is it just
refrigerated?
thanks
Hi Mike! The recipe didn’t include instructions for processing. I would just keep it in the refrigerator. Believe me, it will be gobbled up quickly!
I would like 2 try this recipe, but where can I get recipe for onion marmalade?
I would love to have the onion recipe too. Mike to process you need to find out how to process meat etc.. since the bacon is already cooked. I would make sure that the jars, lids are hot when you put in the jam. They should seal, if you want put them into a pressure cooker, bring it up to 15 lb. then shut off the burner.
Boy when i saw this one, i knew i was all set to give it a try.
Thank you for contributing.
My goodness this sounds AMAZING! My sister and I have been buying each other bacon-flavoured foodstuffs all year (the weirdest so far was bacon mayo), and this will be perfect to make and give to her for xmas! Two quick questions – what make of garlic-chilli sauce did you use? They vary in flavour and intensity so much! Also, what quantity does it yield? It’s always useful to know how many jars I’m gonna need to have on standby!
As a Master Food Preserver, no this recipe should not be processed. There is not enough acid in this recipe and too much fat to be processed. The fat will go rancid with time and without enough acidity to compensate the low acid vegetables in the recipe, it is not going to be shelf stable. It really sounds awesome and I do encourage you all to make it. Just put it in the refrigerator and it should keep for a few weeks in there.
Thanks so much for chiming in Nancee! Always want to consider food safety when it comes to preserving. Glad we have you here for advice!
Sounds great! I do agree with Nancee, I also am a Master Food Preserver…
I know you store it in the refrigerator but do you eat this cold or should it always be heated? Sounds great, can’t wait to try it. If making for gifts for people what information should be put on the tag for safety?
Can this be frozen and thawed later?
Has anyone made this? How much does it make? Thank you Nancee,I appreciate your settling the process/refrigerate debate.
Lardon: narrow strips of fat, usually unsmoked, used to lard meats (threading them with a needle into meats that are to be braised or roasted) and used to flavor dishes such as quiches or salads or rendered with onion as a base for soup or pasta sauces. The French also use the term lardon to refer to pork fat that has been diced, blanched and fried.
It looks like a lovely recipe, and I can’t wait to try it. The use of coffee intrigues me!
“You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.” – Inigo Montoya