Canning Bacon Onion Jam Food

THE BEST DAMN BACON JAM

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lay the bacon slices out in a single layer on a foil-lined baking sheet. Bake for 14 minutes, or until the bacon is nice and crispy. Lay out on paper towels to drain and set aside, reserving 2 tablespoons of the bacon grease.
• Add the bacon grease to a large skillet and heat over medium, medium low heat, then add the onions and stir around to coat with the bacon grease. Allow to slowly cook for an hour, checking every ten minutes or so to stir and scrape up any black bits that form on the bottom of the pan.
• Once the onions are a dark golden brown color, deglaze the pan with the 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar, scraping the pan as the vinegar dissolves. Add the remaining balsamic vinegar, brown sugar, salt, and pepper and stir until a thick glaze forms, around 5 minutes.
• Add the onion mixture and bacon to a food processor and pulse until the desired consistency forms. Scoop the bacon jam into a jar and devour immediately, or refrigerate until future use. Use within one week.

BACON JAM

Steps:

• Add the bacon to a skillet over medium heat. Cook the bacon until it's just starting to brown slightly and render its fat, 3 to 4 minutes. Add in the chopped onions and stir to combine. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft and almost melting into the bacon fat, 30 to 40 minutes. If the pan starts to look dry or is browning too much, add a splash of water to deglaze.
• Stir in the brown sugar, cayenne pepper and grated garlic, then add the balsamic vinegar. Cook until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is thick, about 5 minutes. Turn off the heat.
• Transfer the mixture to a food processor. Pulse until the bacon is chopped slightly finer, 5 to 6 pulses.
• To serve, top the toast with the bacon jam and garnish with chopped chives.

BACON-ONION JAM

Steps:

• Set a Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium heat, and add the bacon. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the fat is completely rendered and the bacon has started to crisp, approximately 12 to 15 minutes.
• Drain all but 1 tablespoon of the fat from the pot, and add the onions, mustard seed, brown sugar, vinegar and 3 tablespoons of water. Stir to combine, then cover the pot, lower the heat and allow the mixture to cook undisturbed for 15 or 20 minutes. Remove the top, stir again and then partly cover the pot. Allow the mixture to cook until most of the liquid is gone and the onions have achieved a dark brown jamminess, approximately 60 to 70 minutes. (Add a little more water as needed.)
• Taste the jam, and add salt and pepper if necessary.
• Remove mixture from heat, and allow to cool slightly. Spoon the jam into a jar or bowl, then allow to cool completely. Store, covered, in the refrigerator for up to a week.