Bacon Jam Recipe. Sweet, salty and savory with brown sugar. Spread on crackers, bruschetta, baked brie or top baked potatoes or grilled meat! So versatile, and so yummy.

Ingredients

• 2 pounds bacon, raw, chopped
• 2 teaspoons butter
• 2 large yellow onions, diced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1/r cup Bourbon

Preparation

1. Add chopped bacon to a large pot (I used a dutch oven). Cook on medium heat for 15-20 minutes until the bacon starts to get crispy, and the fat is foaming.
2. Drain bacon using a colander placed over a bowl. Save the drained fat.
3. Add 2 teaspoons of bacon fat and butter to pot and return to medium heat. Add onion and salt, then saute for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently.
4. While onions sauté, add cooled bacon to a cutting board, and run through with a chef’s knife to reduce the size even further.
5. Deglaze the cooked bacon and caramelized onions by adding around a quarter of a cup of bourbon to the pot.
6. To onion mixture, add brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, dried thyme, black pepper and pinch of cayenne. Add bacon back in to pot and stir.
7. Add water and cook for 10-15 minutes until the mixture is “brick-brown” in color and thick.
8. Add olive oil and balsamic vinegar, stir well.

Cook’s Notes

• This is best served slightly warm.
• This recipe yields 1.5 pints. I recommend packaging in small half pint jars.
• If the jam seems dry after all steps are completed, add another 1/2 cup of water and continue to simmer. It should have the consistency of a relish when all is said and done. It won’t be thick like a grape jam, but should certainly have some liquid to it.