I know. Bacon and Cranberry Onion Jam. You’re thinking I’m a pretentious hipster snob that eats jam made with meat and/or vegetables that grow underneath the ground (as if jams made with vegetables grown above the ground are a whole lot better). You think no one in your life would ever eat this. You want to keep scrolling. Don’t. Please. This, on top of some goat cheese on a sourdough baguette, is maybe the most delicious thing I’ve eaten in a long time. People will eat it. And not only will they eat it, they’re going to be your new best friend. If you’re throwing a holiday party, if you’re going to a holiday party, if you have a date with Netflix and your new fuzzy velour joggers (we’re not gonna call them sweat pants), this needs to be on that date.
You’ll need  some bacon, sweet onions, salt, red pepper flakes, sugar, cranberries, and balsamic vinegar.
If you’ve been looking for ways to use our bacon olive oil or one of our awesome vinegars, this is the place! If you want, you could use 1/3 cup of bacon olive oil in place of the bacon and then any of the balsamic vinegars would be perfect–I used raspberry and it was SO delicious!
Wash the cranberries…
and sort through them to remove any that are wilted or moldy.
In a large, heavy pan, cook the bacon
until crisp. Remove the bacon from the pan, leaving as many drippings in the pan as possible, and drain on a paper towel. When cool, finely chop the bacon.
Add the onions to the drippings in the pan and season with salt and red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring frequently,
until the onions are starting to brown and are softened. Turn heat to low, cover, and cook for about 20 minutes.
Remove lid and increase heat to medium. Add the cranberries, bacon, and sugar and stir until the mixture is simmering. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook for another 30 minutes or until the berries have burst and are syrupy.
Remove from heat and stir in the balsamic vinegar.
Serve warm or at room temperature.
It’s sweet. It’s smoky. It’s tangy. It’s…the best thing going on in my life right now.
Bacon and Cranberry Onion Jam
- Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Yield: 3 cups
Description
This sweet, smoky, tangy Bacon and Cranberry Onion Jam is the perfect match for goat cheese, brie, or cream cheese! Try it on a sandwich or with cheese on baguette slices!
Ingredients
- 6 ounces bacon
- 4 cups sweet onions, halved and thinly sliced (about 2 medium onions)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1/3 cup sugar
- Pinch red pepper flakes (more if desired)
- 1 12-ounce bag fresh cranberries
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
Instructions
In a large, heavy pan, cook the bacon until crisp. Remove the bacon from the pan, leaving as many drippings in the pan as possible, and drain on a paper towel. When cool, finely chop the bacon.
Add the onions to the drippings in the pan and season with salt and red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are starting to brown and are softened. Turn heat to low, cover, and cook for about 20 minutes.
Remove lid and increase heat to medium. Add the cranberries, bacon, and sugar and stir until the mixture is simmering. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook for another 30 minutes or until the berries have burst and are syrupy.
Remove from heat and stir in the balsamic vinegar. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
This makes a delicious sandwich or burger spread or is perfect as an appetizer–serve on top of crackers or baguette slices spread with goat, brie, or cream cheese!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
