A commercial inspired me to make bacon jam, after I couldn’t find the brand that was advertised because it was sold out. Homemade is always better anyway, because you can tweak it to your liking! This one is sweet with a bit of spice and will add tons of flavor to a sandwich, you can spoon it on crackers, or as my teenager wanted to, eat it straight from the jar with a spoon.
Ingredients:
1 lb bacon, best quality you can find
1 small onion, chopped finely
3 cloves garlic
1/4 tsp red chili flakes (a little more if you like spicy)
1/2 cup brewed strong coffee
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
3 tbsp maple syrup
Chop up the bacon as finely as you can. This works best if you do it while the bacon is cold—as soon as it warms up, the fat gets harder to chop up. Saute up in a large, deep fry pan until the bacon is crisp and golden, then with a slotted spoon remove to a paper towel lined plate.
Pour off all but about a tbsp of the fat and add the onion to the pan, stirring and continuing to fry over medium heat until softened. Add the garlic and chili flakes, stirring, until fragrant. Pour in the coffee, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, and maple syrup, stirring to bring up any of the bits on the bottom of the pan.
Add the cooled bacon back to the pan, stirring to coat. Bring the mixture to a boil and then turn the heat down to low and simmer, uncovered, for an hour or hour and a half until the mixture is thick and syrupy.
Spoon the jam into a clean 250 ml mason jar and top with a screw on a lid. Store in the fridge for a few weeks. I love this jam on toast as an appetizer or light lunch!
Makes about 1 cup
Adapted from Martha Stewart and Serious Eats
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