Red Onion Jam with bacon & chipotle peppers

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My house smells like bacon heaven when I make this jam…and when you add the onions and balsamic vinegar it gets five times better. The onions caramelize and the jam becomes sweet and tangy and spicy with smoky bits of bacon throughout and it is wonderful. Absolutely wonderful.

We have a pretty large farmer’s market here in Houston on Airline drive just off the 610 loop. My Mom and I would go there often when I was a kid and I still remember that you could bring your own pecans in around the Holidays and they would crack and/or pick them for you…they have these large machines that do the hard work. Well, I live close to that market today…funny how life tends to go full circle, isn’t it….never would have imagined. So, I went to the market the other day and found all these beautiful red onions, hence…onion jam!

Red onion jam is great on burgers or sandwiches, with cream cheese and crackers or just as a side condiment. This stuff can be downright addictive and makes a great gift idea for the Holidays -just make plenty to keep for yourself…or you’ll wish you had.

Red Onion Jam with bacon & chipotle peppers

Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 1 pint
Difficulty: easy

Ingredients:

2 Tbs oil
4 slices bacon, diced
1 lb red onions, thinly sliced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1-2 chipotle peppers, diced
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
2 Tbs brown sugar
2 tsp smoked paprika, optional

Directions:

Slice all the onions and chop the garlic, peppers and bacon. I buy chipotle peppers (smoked jalapeno peppers) in a can with Adobo sauce. Just spoon a couple of the pepper out and chop them well.
Add oil and diced bacon to skillet over medium heat and cook till bacon has browned. Add sliced onion and garlic and cook on med/low for about 10 minutes.
Add vinegar, brown sugar, peppers and paprika and stir, Cook for another 20 minutes or so, stirring occasionally. This will thicken and become jammy.
Spoon this into a jar or small container. Keep refrigerated.
You can easily adjust the sweetness and heat to your liking.