Two of my favorite condiments are cranberry sauce and chutney. I just love them on almost anything from turkey to curry to crostini with goat cheese and cream cheese. One day, a friend sent a jar of her homemade yellow onion jam home with my husband and my condiment assortment has never been the same. I finished the entire jar inside of a week ... all by myself! It is so delicious, you can almost eat it by the spoonful. But, better to save it for your holiday entertaining. For this recipe, I used red onions, and the color is a beautiful burgundy red when it is finished - just perfect for festive menus.
This recipe is a variation of one I found online, but I reduced the white sugar, increased the brown sugar and added sea salt, cider vinegar and a little more sliced onions. Actually, you can add even more onions, if you like a little more texture in it. You can play with this recipe, too, to come up with a version perfect for you!
Holiday Red Onion Jam
(Makes about 2 pints or 4 cups) INGREDIENTS 2 large red onions, peeled and thinly sliced (4-5 cups) 1 1/4 cups apple juice 1/4 cup cider vinegar 1/4 cup red wine vinegar 1 teaspoon powdered sage (or poultry seasoning) 1/2 teaspoon black pepper 1 teaspoon sea salt 1 box (1.75 ounces) fruit pectin 2 cups granulated sugar 1 cup, packed, light brown sugar DIRECTIONS Place sliced onions in a medium-sized cooking pot. Add apple juice, both vinegars, sage, pepper, salt and pectin. Stir well. Bring to full, rolling boil stirring constantly. Add white and brown sugars and stir well with a whisk. Bring to boil again and boil for about 3-5 minutes. Remove from heat. Now you have to decide if you are going to can the jam or just put it in containers to refrigerate. I am not a canner, so I opt to pour it in glass jars or containers with tight-fitting lids, cool to room temperature and then refrigerate. Mixture will thicken as it cools. Once cooled, refrigerate until ready to use. Serve as an accompaniment to meats or roasts, or as a spread over cream or goat cheese for an appetizer. It would also be delicious spread over boneless, skinless chicken breasts before baking or grilling. If you opt to can this jam, then pour mixture into sterilized jars immediately after removing from stove. Fill to within 1/4 inch of the tops and then follow the guidelines for canning that you normally do for jams and jellies.
This recipe is a variation of one I found online, but I reduced the white sugar, increased the brown sugar and added sea salt, cider vinegar and a little more sliced onions. Actually, you can add even more onions, if you like a little more texture in it. You can play with this recipe, too, to come up with a version perfect for you!
Lamorinda Weekly, Moraga CA