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Bacon Jam (a.k.a. Oooh-Mommy! Jam)

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You know food is going to make you happy when it smiles at you. (Probably could’ve made a buck selling a smiling egg yolk on eBay, but honey? There was no way I was walking away from this breakfast. And even if I did, there were twelve people waiting to take over the job for me this morning.)

My love of bacon has been pretty well documented (proof of my bacon-obsession) but I can honestly tell you that today’s recipe, Bacon Jam,  is the my favorite way I’ve ever eaten it.

I’m just going to say right here -at the beginning- that this is one of the hardest pieces I’ve ever written. I’ve flogged my brain for hours, but the fact is, there aren’t enough superlatives to describe how core-shakingly good this bacon jam is. It is umami jam. It is Ooo-Mommy jam.

Since every way I conceived to ‘splain this jam ends up sounded like a big, fat cliche in my brain (lip-smacking, mouth-watering, etc…) I thought a few anecdotes about the power of this Ooooh-Mommy, holy-cow, sweet-crappy-pappy-this-is-good jam might do the job.

  • While this jam was cooking, a neighbor (who we haven’t met in the three years we’ve lived here) came over to introduce himself. He didn’t say as much, but I assume the smell drew him since he kept looking over at the stove where my pot of bacon jam bubbled away. He left as a friend. He’ll be back. I’m sure of it.
  • I was chatting with my friend, Krysta, who lives on the opposite coast,  telling her how the scent of the cooking jam made me want to gnaw my own leg off at the ankle. She realized she had the ingredients and decided to make it right then and there. Within an hour she was drooling all over the place. Ask her. She’ll tell you.
  • When my beloved, The Evil Genius, tasted Bacon Jam for the first time, his eyes rolled back into his head and he said, “Ooooh- Mommy.” While my husband is a food guy, those are reactions that he just doesn’t have. That equals spectacular food.
  • We had a grown-up slumber party last night (Okay, not just grown-ups. Four adults and nine children. The kids were tucked in and it was party time, Foodie With Family style. We were hard-core. We broke out the Gilbert and Sullivan and sang along. You haven’t played a drinking game until you have to take a sip every time someone in ‘Pirates of Penzance’ says ‘duty’!) This morning, breakfast was toasted slabs of fresh homemade bread smeared with bacon jam that we heated in a cast-iron frying pan next to sunny side up eggs. Our friends and their kids have now moved into our house.

Speaking of these friends… While we collectively munched our breakfasts, our dear Daytons, Pamela and Jon, helped us hash out just why a Bacon Jam topped piece of toast with a fried egg was superior to the traditional fare of bacon, eggs, and toast. Jon observed that with Bacon Jam and fried egg on toast, you get the taste of bacon, egg, and toast in every bite. Because of his keen insight, he got double rations and the ability to choose the keyword the next time we all indulge in our Gilbert and Sullivan proclivities.

This post is special for one other reason. The aforementioned Krysta  happens to have a pretty stylin’ food blog. You have read Evil Chef Mom, right? I really did tease her about the salty, sweet, meaty, maple-y, coffee-tinged dutch-oven-of-joy that I had just created, and she really did inventory her pantry and chill-chest and make her own batch. We waxed rhapsodic over our new discovery. And more than that, we decided that we both needed to post this at the very same time, because Bacon Jam turned us into giddy little teenage girls who buy and wear matching Johnny Depp* t-shirts. Hop on over to Evil Chef Mom and read Krysta’s reflections on the recipe. She tried the recipe using Martha Stewart’s original instructions (using a slow-cooker.)

*Or somebody. But probably Johnny Depp. Because he could be the Bacon Jam of actors. Or not. But probably he is.

You can join the Bacon Jam Club, Krysta and I aren’t exclusive. We want the whole world to know this joy. Just be warned, once you try it, it’s like the mob. There’s no going back.

Bacon Jam (a.k.a. Oooh-Mommy Jam)

Scroll to the bottom for an easy-print version of this recipe!

Inspired by Martha Stewart and The Perfect Pantry

Yield: About 6 cups. (You can easily halve this recipe.)

Ingredients:

  • 3 pounds bacon
  • 4 large yellow onions, peeled and thinly sliced
  • 8 cloves garlic, smashed with the flat side of a knife or a pan and peeled
  • 1 cup cider vinegar
  • 1 cup packed light-brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
  • 1 1/2 cups very strong brewed black coffee
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Cut the bacon slices into one inch strips. Add the bacon to a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Cook the bacon, stirring frequently, until the bacon is browned. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the bacon to a paper-towel lined plate. Drain all but 2 tablespoons of the bacon drippings into a heat-proof jar with a tight-fitting lid.*

*Save the bacon drippings in the refrigerator. That’s too much flavor to trash!

Place the Dutch oven back over the medium-high heat and add the onions and garlic.

Stir well and reduce heat to medium. Continue to cook for about 8 minutes, or until the onions are mostly translucent.

Add the remaining ingredients, stir well, and drop heat again, this time to low.

Bring to a boil, stirring frequently, and boil hard for 2 minutes. After 2 minutes, stir the browned bacon into the onions and liquid.

Simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally to make sure things aren’t sticking, adding 1/4 cup of water if it seems to be drying out. When the onions are meltingly soft and the liquid is thick and syrupy, remove the dutch oven from the heat and let stand for 5 minutes.

Transfer the contents of the Dutch oven to the work bowl of a food processor that has been fitted with a blade. Fit the lid in place and pulse several times or until the Bacon Jam is a spreadable consistency. Scrape into a jar (or jars) or a container with a tight fitting lid.

Store in the refrigerator for up to one month or the freezer for up to six months!

Can be served cold, room temperature or warmed.

I do believe that breakfast just doesn’t get much better than this…

5 from 20 votes
Print

Bacon Jam

Salty, meaty, chewy, sweet, savoury, smoky, bacony goodness. Bacon is crisped and made into the ultimate breakfast spread with maple syrup, onions, coffee, brown sugar and pepper.
Course Snack
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings 32
Calories 225 kcal
Author Rebecca Lindamood

Ingredients

  • 3 pounds bacon
  • 4 large yellow onions peeled and thinly sliced
  • 8 cloves garlic smashed with the flat side of a knife or a pan and peeled
  • 1 cup cider vinegar
  • 1 cup packed light-brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
  • 1 1/2 cups very strong brewed black coffee
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

  1. Cut the bacon slices into one inch strips. Add the bacon to a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Cook the bacon, stirring frequently, until the bacon is browned. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the bacon to a paper-towel lined plate. Drain all but 2 tablespoons of the bacon drippings into a heat-proof jar with a tight-fitting lid.*
  2. *Save the bacon drippings in the refrigerator. That's too much flavor to trash!
  3. Place the Dutch oven back over the medium-high heat and add the onions and garlic. Stir well and reduce heat to medium. Continue to cook for about 8 minutes, or until the onions are mostly translucent. Add the remaining ingredients, stir well, and drop heat again, this time to low.
  4. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently, and boil hard for 2 minutes. After 2 minutes, stir the browned bacon into the onions and liquid.
  5. Simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally to make sure things aren't sticking, adding 1/4 cup of water if it seems to be drying out. When the onions are meltingly soft and the liquid is thick and syrupy, remove the dutch oven from the heat and let stand for 5 minutes.
  6. Transfer the contents of the Dutch oven to the work bowl of a food processor that has been fitted with a blade. Fit the lid in place and pulse several times or until the Bacon Jam is a spreadable consistency. Scrape into a jar (or jars) or a container with a tight fitting lid. Store in the refrigerator for up to one month or in the freezer for up to 6 months.
  7. Can be served cold, room temperature or warmed.

Recipe Notes

The bacon jam could take up to 3 hours to reduce to a syrupy consistency. Just stick with it!

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  8. Peef is oohing and ahhing over this recipe. After all, he’s probably your number one competition when it comes to bacon loving. 🙂

    Also trying your Cuban pork… going into the oven for sandwiches tonight, and who knows what later in the week. Will definitely be blogging it, since it’s promising to be a repeater!

    Reply

  10. Oh My God. My mouth is watering. Literally. I have plenty of bacon so this is on the agenda for the weekend. Thanks for the great, descriptive post. – Cathy, one of the Dames of Meat

    Reply

  12. Oh my gosh…this sounds so delicious!!!! Thanks for sharing this recipe. And, I must say, I appreciate the umami pun. Very cute!

    Reply

  13. oh my. Oh. My! This looks like my idea of a perfect breakfast. I’m a bit obsessed with homemade spreads/sauces/preserves and this one looks so yummy and unique! Thanks for sharing..
    love,
    cathy b.

    Reply

  14. This looks crazy good! I think you might like a few of my recipe’s especially the cheddar cheese and Guinness stout pizza you should check it out.
    Thanks And I will be sure to try out this jam

    Reply

  16. Rebecca – do you have any recommendations/specifications re bacon, ie smoked, center-cut, on the fatty side etc etc? I know, how bad could it be regardless right? But I want to get the oohhh mammie perfection!

    Reply

  17. I saw this on Tastespotting and my first reaction to the caption was “breakfast doesn’t need rethinking, I love breakfast the way it is” but I changed my mind pretty much as soon as I started reading. THIS LOOKS INCREDIBLE! I will make this at the first available opportunity.

    Reply

  18. Okay, I have a question. I’m thinking about making this for my “pay-it-forward” FB thing (no, I still haven’t done them), and I wondered how well it would mail? Would I need to send with dry ice, or officially canned, or any of the above? I don’t want to harm my friends, but I have some long-distance bacon love to satisfy … 🙂

    Reply

    • @Stacy It’ll freeze, alright! I’d say up to 3 months will be fine!

      @April Dry ice would work fine as would pressure canning. I haven’t done the research on how long and at which pressure to can it, but I’m certain it could be done.

      @Sarah I tell you, it’s powerful that way…

      @Christine Thus far, I’ve only used smoked, not necessarily center cut. One school of thought would tell you to use the besty-best bacon you can find, but I think a good middle of the road bacon does the job nicely. Since you’re adding other strong flavors (onion, garlic, coffee, maple, etc…) it seems a shame to use the best stand-alone bacon.

      @Amanda I don’t blame you. Just be sure you have reading material handy since you won’t be able to move after doing so 🙂 (Says the voice of experience.)

      @Z Thanks! I’ll check your stuff out.

      @Cathyb I’m similarly obsessed. Combine two of my loves: bacon and funky preserves. Sigh. Heaven.

      @Lissette Why thank ye. Glad you enjoyed it!

      @Warner I don’t know! I hope she finds out!

      @MrsWheelbarrow Shucks, from a Doyenne of Meat? I’m flattered! I hope you like it!

      @meemsnyc Mmm hmmm. You won’t be disappointed if you make it!

      @Lo What a coinkydink. I’m making Cuban Pork as I type! I hope you and Peef get a chance to try this bacon jam on for size.

      @Chrissy Here’s a pillow, dear. A pillow of bacon jam. *thud*

      @Amy I know you joined the club. Do YOU have your Johnny Depp shirt on?

      @Krysta YEAH! Now. Where can we order those Bacon/Jam necklaces??? Hmmm???

      @Carrian YAY! Please DO try it!

      @Pamela You know where to get more, oh wait! Now you know how to make it!

      @Chris@ThePeche Hey buddy. Howza bout a deal. A pie or two of yours for a jar or two of bacon jam? Hmmm?

      Reply

  20. Have you tried BaconMarmalade? It is amazing. I ordered some for a Christmas gift from their website and it was perfect paired with….well… ANYTHING. Great cooking!

    Reply

  21. There really isn’t much that makes me happier than bacon jam and gooey eggs. I’ve had kids tugging on my dress and begging begging begging. Momma Connor Poked me in the eye!!!!!! Nothing can break the bacon jam moment.

    Reply

  22. you had me at bacon jam.
    but… does it have a huge maple-y flavor? because i am really not a fan of maple. I was thinking maybe i could substitute corn syrup or something of the same consistency… you think?

    Reply

    • Kelly- The maple flavor really is not very pronounced, in my opinion. If you’re concerned, I’d say a dark honey or dark Karo syrup would be a fair substitute. But really? I didn’t taste maple OR coffee in it. It was more of a really intense bacony bacon flavor. (Did that make any sense?)

      Cat- Ain’t it the truth? Bacon jam solves those problems. If Connor pokes him/her in the eye again, just rub a little bacon jam on it.

      James- Bacon Jam is pretty much Bacon Marmalade. Semantics 🙂 Try this on for size and you probably won’t order any more!

      Reply

  23. Im doing a bit of pantry preparedness due to a winter storm threatening. I figured it would be a nice spreadable for meals should I lose electric this week. I used 9lbs of bacon and made 3 batches today. Im on a special diet that doesnt let me eat it (or even taste test). Ours made about 2pt per batch. I used fresh cracked pepper in one batch, but replaced that with organic chipotle powder in the other two batches and they preferred the chipotle version. Said it tastes like bacony bbq sauce and they can hardly wait to have it on broiled goat cheese toast for breakfast tomorrow. Thanks for the recipe. Its a keeper :o)

    Reply

  26. I think I need a mop to wipe all my drool off the keyboard. This looks utterly amazing!
    I too have an obsession with all things bacon and I cannot wait to try this out…

    Will be making a double batch and (maybe)sharing.

    Reply

  27. That recipe is to die for~! I will be making this again and again! The only thing I might do next time is put less sugar in, it turned out a little to sweet. But I would highly recommend this recipe to any bacon fan… especially maple bacon fan!

    Reply

  29. I think I may have a girl crush on you. I love, love, love bacon (make my own); love Gilbert & Sullivan (love to play it while putting on the face for a party – never thought of a drinking game); and am SOOO jealous I didn’t think of Oooh-Mommy. I’ll be making this soon. I don’t care for egg whites so I’ll be making sous vide eggs where the yolks are just done enough to carefully peel the whites off (custardy egg yolks! with the consistency of lemon curd) spread on toast with bacon jam. I may die and go to heaven.

    Reply

  30. Really nice and certainly very tasty. Never had this and I think it’s time for me to change that. Only I can’t find English Bacon in the south of France. Can I substitute it with “Lardons” (smoked or not pork belly, I think it’s the right translation)
    Keep the work going. I’ll be following ur blog and I plan on trying every of ur recipes.

    Reply

  31. A coworker and I just went on a bacon frenzy, making Bacon Explosion and this. We determined that the Bacon Explosion was an interesting experiment that we would never need to repeat (for the sake of our arteries). THIS however, I will make this over, and over, and over, and over again. Holy cow.

    I have plans this weekend to grill a bell pepper, crack an egg into it with some bacon jam and slap it back on the grill again.

    If brunch were a competition, this would have to be banned for tipping the scales too far.

    Reply

  32. I make Jams and Jellies for my living and have been asked about Bacon Jam many times. I started looking for a recipe and came across yours (Martha’s) and ready to try it. A big thanks from me and my customers.

    Reply

  33. I introduced this bacon jam to my campground regulars at a breakfast on Saturday morning. Not only had NO ONE every heard of bacon jam but it was hailed as absolutely the best invention ever and was enthusiastically received by all. On a grilled english muffin with a fried egg on top…just about heaven on earth. Others suggested putting it on a hamburger……can you say “yuuuuummmmm” in several languages????? Well, yummmmmmmmm.

    Reply

  34. What about cheese? One of our favorite pizzas is onion jam and goat cheese or Boursin but my daughter suggested this instead. I think she loves the smell of bacon and wants me to slow cook some. Perhaps sharp cheddar? We’re having foodie friends for dinner Saturday and am always looking for a way to knock them out. I’ll probably do focaccia instead as it’s more entertainment friendly.

    BTW- pine nuts are a great addition to the onion/goat cheese pizza but only if you can find European nuts. The Chinese are not the real deal and can leave a metallic aftertaste.

    Reply

  35. I must say that I am drooling, or at least I was until I saw that coffee was one of the ingredients. Is there any way that this could be made without the coffee. I cannot stand the stuff and won’t use it at all. I won’t keep it in my house, I detest the smell and the taste. Please, please tell me I can make this with some other ingredient besides coffee. Thanks for your help.

    Reply

  38. Rebecca, I found your site yesterday while looking for a Cuban sandwich recipe.
    You are an absolute riot! I thoroughly enjoy reading your recipes and your humor!
    I freaked out when I read Bacon…Jam! OMG my inlaws are complete bacon freaks! (always ordering extra sides at breakfast)I’m making this TODAY as soon as the bacon store opens!
    We’re all going to Venice (FL) to shark tooth dive/hunt over Labor Day and this Jam is going with! Thank You Mmmmmaaaah!

    P.S.I’m also going to try and replicate the best sandwich in the world this weekend,It’s
    Paseo’s Cuban Roast (little shack in Seattle that has no sign, just a line sometimes 2 blocks long.)

    Reply

  39. hi rebecca! i found this post on pinterest and had to make it! i wrote about it on my blog and linked yours several times. i am new to this whole blogging thing and am hoping i gave credit appropriately. thanks for sharing, love your blog.

    emily

    Reply

  41. Rebecca, I must say, my house smells AMAZING!! I saw a post “somewhere” yesterday late afternoon with a picture of the Avo/Gorg/Jam/Waffle sammich and about fainted. I then clicked here there and everywhere following a trail of recipes you’d posted to get to the final result. I did have to stop to tinkle 10+ times as your humor is right up my alley!! I had to put all of last nights T.V. programs to DVR so I could run to the market and get 3 lbs of bacon, who on earth that’s a Bacon Addict has any just laying around?? If it’s here, it’s in the fridge…oh heck no…it’s IN THE PAN! I had all the other ingredients and barely slept a wink in anticipation of making it today. 90 mins ago it started the “simmer” phase and I can’t stop “tasting” the juice…yummmm….oooohhhh gotta run, time to stir.

    Reply

  42. So, I see this post on my friend Steve’s facebook that says something to the effect of, “Bacon Jam…Why have I never heard of this?” I thought, EEEWWW. Picturing a gelatinous mess with a few bits of bacon for texture. I pictured marmalade with bacon grease. Something completely different than what your image of the stuff looks like.
    Well, after making the skeptical comments on Steve’s facebook page, I decided I’d better make a batch before he could make one and prove me wrong. I much prefer to prove myself wrong.
    This stuff takes forever, when the scent of bacon lingers in the house. Room mates hovering around the stove, hoping for a preview taste. No, no. This stuff takes a solid 3 hours, and I gotta say, its entirely worth the wait. This is the most delicious spreadable taste of heaven that I’ve ever stuffed in my face.
    Just be careful not to leave the doors open…We have 7 cats on our porch meowing at us. There should only be 2.
    NOMNOMNOM

    Reply

    • Sorry, Helen. That’s a big negatory on the boiling water processing. Because there is meat (and fat) it absolutely must be pressure canned if you want to store it in the pantry. I just keep this one in the freezer.

      Reply

  47. be still my heart…then I died with a mouth full of Bacon Jam and white bread…first bite taste so good but to be “real” this is a once in a while part of a meal!

    Reply

  48. I had never heard of bacon jam until it was mentioned on a blog I frequent. My taste buds said FIND THAT STUFF! I looked at lots of different recipes, and thought yours was the best.

    Oh, Lawdy! As they say down here in Georgia, this stuff is good enough to make you slap your momma. I’m glad to hear that it freezes well, but I don’t know if my husband will let it stay around long enough to need freezing. He loves it with sharp cheddar, but sees no reason not to just eat it with a spoon!

    The only change I plan on making is cooking the bacon in whole slices next time until they’re nice and crispy and then draining, because I found the smaller pieces a bit difficult to drain thoroughly. Other than that minor quibble this is a perfectly wonderful recipe. Thank you!

    Reply

  49. BACON JAM!?! seriously! be still mine heart be still. Personally, I think some things should be a food group on their own: bacon is one of them ( homemade lasagna being another)
    I will definitely be trying this on the weekend and hiding ALL of it until Christmas….. which is next week, right? I thank you from the bottom of my bacon fat smeared lil’ heart.

    Reply

  50. O.m.g. this is amazing! Just finished my first batch and am in heaven. I made a small substitution i used whiskey instead of coffee as the hubs doesnt like coffee and it turned out amazing! I cannot wait to slather this on some toast and plop an egg on top.

    Reply

        • Hey Jake,

          I hope you find something like American Bacon. I spent three months in Brighton two summers ago and I could never find
          any english bacon that compared to our American Bacon. What I found was not as fatty and therefore didn’t caramelize the
          same. I really couldn’t wait to get home to bacon I was used to. But, I sure enjoyed all the English milk products…. you guys
          know how to use milk for so many yummy things!! Never saw so many kinds of cheese and cream products…. very cool!!

          Reply

    • Sort-of-American just moved back from UK again… DEFINITELY use what is in UK named smoked Streaky Bacon. Sadly, on this side of The Pond, there is seldom anything else available. One of the major items we miss desperately – not only the variety of European cheeses but the wonderful variety of what is known as BACON!!!

      Reply

  52. i am just starting my third batch. my neighbors think i’m a unicorn. this stuff is MAGIC!!!! love, love, love it. i mean, you can’t go wrong with bacon, but this is proof positive that God exists and that he created the pig for bacon jam.

    Reply

  53. I just finished making this for Christmas breakfast. Of course, I can’t food process it until the morning. I can’t really taste the coffee and had to glug in extra syrup for mine, because our “sweet” onions were giant yellow-green balls of fire. Honestly, I couldn’t breathe the fumes of the onions until they were as close to carmel as sulfur can be.

    I’m soooo upset. I was waiting so long to get the opportunity to make this and I’m worried the outcome won’t be quite as scrumtrillescent due to the evil demon onions from hell.

    Reply

  54. Absolutely delicious! One question though…I doubled this recipe and it took a ridiculously long time (13 hours) to reduce to the appropriate consistency. I bumped up the heat to medium, and it seemed to only minimally speed up the process. Any advice?

    Reply

    • WOAH! 13 hours? I have no idea what was going on there. The longest it has ever taken me is three hours. The only suggestions I have are to boil the coffee/onion/blahblah mixture a little bit longer before adding the bacon back in and that ‘low’ one one burner can be different than another burner… For instance, I have 2 power burners, 2 standard burners and an ultra low simmer burner. I usually prepare this on a standard burner to keep it from scorching.

      Reply

  55. My sister made this for my husband for Christmas, bacon is a recipe enhancer according to my husband. I must say this is the best thing I had ever had!

    Reply

  56. Making my first batch now! I added the bacon back with the coffee, brown sugar, etc. I hope I didn’t mess it up too badly!

    Reply

  57. The picture at the very beginning is itself, unadulterated food porn. I love. Headed to the store now to start my first batch of Bacon Jam. I as giddy as a school girl!

    Reply

  58. I just recently came across this recipe as I am all about anything bacon 🙂 Your picture had me drooling. As luck would have it I needed groceries and in checking the store site saw they had a good bacon at almost 50% off!! No excuses now!! Bought enough for a full recipe, but only made half. Until I know how frequently I’ll be using it, I don’t want copious amounts around that may go to waste. I can always make more, and double it then. I did substitute AlaGa syrup (a favorite among southerners) for the maple, and had to use dark brown sugar instead of light. If these made any major difference in taste, I wouldn’t know and would not hesitate to use these ingredients the next time.

    I don’t know how long it simmered, I didn’t time it. Just let it go until it had what I thought was the proper consistency. It was hard, I wanted so bad to do a spoonful for the jar, one for me, etc, but I didn’t. I did save a good bit at the end to inhale.

    Breakfast in the morning will be homemade bread slathered with bacon jam, and topped with a poached egg. Some Greek yogurt with strawberries, kiwi and blueberries.

    Reply

  59. I found this recipe today and made it today omg it is wonderful….I would change nothing it came out perfect. ONe suggestion that may help I rendered my bacon in a cast iron pot and once the bacon had cook for a few minutes on top of the stove I put it in a preheated oven at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes made it easy just checked on it. While waiting I was able to chop onions and get everything else measured out for the finale. Will be making this again only one question…can this be shipped out of town does it need constant refrigeration? Thanks so much

    Reply

    • Hi Susan, Nice tip! I would say it needs constant refrigeration because of the meat/fat in it. Those can go rancid quickly~ And you’re welcome!

      Reply

  61. This is a fantastic recipe. I made a couple of changes- just minor. I used malt vinegar instead of cider vinegar, dark instead of light brown sugar,1 teas. smoked paprika and 2 tbls. Worchestershire sauce. It was fabulous. I think it could be canned in 1/2 pint or jelly jars and processed in a pressure cooker the same way you would process canned meat or fish. Then the shelf life should be longer. I’m going to process a batch this way and I”ll let you know how it turns out.

    Reply

    • Did you end up canning it as planned, Debbie? I intend to make small jars of this for my wedding favors and it will definitely need to be preserved. I’ve made the recipe before without preserving it (because, let’s be honest, it’s so good that it goes QUICKLY with my friends and family). I’m new to pressure canning though. Any tips/suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

      Reply

  63. You mentioned above that you don’t can this, but you do freeze it? Do you just freeze it in the mason jars? Thanks!

    Reply

  64. hi from western canada, can this jam also be processed in pressure canner, if so what is the pressure and for how long is it processed? Tasted it at a farmers market, awesome but leary of purchasing it if it is not processed. Weather here is around 95 – 100 degrees now thank you

    Reply

    • Hi Joyce. I suspect it can be pressure canned, but I don’t know what pressure and the processing time as I have not had the recipe vetted by the proper authorities. I am content with keeping it in my freezer for now… 🙂

      Reply

  67. Hi, SUsan, Somewhere along in the comments, I read a post of REbecca’s that she thought it could be frozen up to three months, so that would give you more leeway for the holidays.

    Reply

  68. Rebecca, Rebecca, Rebecca….
    What the What…I’ve never heard of bacon jam BUT I am now a believer. This stuff is great…on everything. My family loves it. I will be putting it on my cuban pork sandwiches (another one of your wonderful recipes) today. What goes better with pork than pork.
    Many thanks!

    Reply

  69. This recipe worked out perfect !!!!! Looks just as pictured as a tasty as promised. It does take the three hours to reduce it so next time I will double the batch….the only changes I made were the onions….I live in WA State and I used Walla Walla Sweets intead of the yellow onions avaiable because this season they were very pungent…Also if you have an imersion stick blender use that instead of the food prossesor to make it spreadable….less clean up all around….Can’t wait to share this with my friends!!!!

    Reply

  70. When you pressure cook it, is it a special canner
    or a normal pressure cooker??
    And how long will it last in the freezer?

    Thanks. ;))

    Reply

  72. OM FREAKIN” GOD !!!! This stuff is AMAZING !!! Smokey, sweet, savory, tangy, my taste buds are dancing like Tina Turner on stage !!! It moves across the tongue and you know there’s a party going on in your mouth !!! Haven’t tried it with toast and an egg yet, but I’m sure toast, eggs and bacon will never live up to the plain old tune ever again !!! Two thumbs and two big toes UP…Halleluja…amen !!!

    Reply

  73. Is there any way…any way at all to make this without the onions or the coffee. One sister gets migraines and the onions set her off. She can have food flavored with onion but then we have to take the onion out because she can’t eat the onion itself. The other sister has dyslexia and dyscalculia, takes adderall to focus, and the caffeine will destroy her.

    HOWEVER, Bacon is its own food group around her and I’d love to hit them with this if I can!

    Reply

    • Maybe try cooking the onions in a cheesecloth bag so you get the flavor without mixing the onions into the jam itself?

      Reply

  74. I finally tried this the other day. It just sounded too good not to try my hand at.
    My kids and husband looked at me weird. I made it anyway. 🙂
    It was much easier than anticipated but the flavor was not what I was expecting. It was good, just different. As my son said, “this would be awesome on a bbq sandwich” and I have to agree. I would not make this with breakfast but with some barbecued meat, it would be an A-M-A-Z-I-N-G topping!!
    Thanks so much for sharing this recipe Rebecca….I will be making this for ALL our cookouts this summer.
    *I didn’t have maple syrup so I replaced it with local honey.
    **More bacon will be added next time for sure! We L-O-V-E bacon!
    ***I had no problems getting it to cook down…took less than three hours for sure!

    Reply

  75. Can anything be substituted for the coffee? Does the coffee flavor still come through or does it just blend in with the other flavors? Thanks.

    Reply

  77. WOuld anyone suggest using regular thin sliced bacon or the thick cut variety? I’m always for using thick cut, but don’t want to if it would hurt the recipe…

    Reply

    • As long as you go with the right poundage, you can use whichever bacon you’d like best. I usually go with the thin stuff here because of economy and save the thick stuff for when I am not blitzing it in the food processor, but that’s really neither here not there in regards to your question. If thick cut is your fave, use it- by all means!

      Reply

  78. Hey, what sized cans would you suggest to use? I’m making it for a present for some family members and would like to know 🙂

    Reply

  79. I’m not a great fan of bacon, but my brother-in-law is, so I’m making this for him for Christmas. It’s still cooking, but so far the liquid is tasting really nice, tangy, sweet, meaty, and deep, like a good barbecue sauce. Instead of water, I’ve been throwing in extra coffee and vinegar. There’s a nice coffee flavor to it because of that. I’ve also put in a little cayenne instead of black pepper, because my brother-in-law likes spicy things. I think he’s going to like this a lot.

    Reply

  80. This sounds like a really good recipe. I have two questions- Do you recommend any substitutes for the coffee. How have people shipped their jam? Just with ice packs? No issues with spoiling?

    Reply

  81. So, this bacon jam is amazing in all of the ways described, but it is also a great recipe ingredient for wilted spinach. No other seasonings required. Heat up a large skillet with about a Tblsp. of bacon grease. scoop a spoonful or 2 of bacon jam in the hot pan. Fill the pan with spinach and cover. Sir every once in a while until wilted. Absolutely delish, and good for you.

    Reply

  82. O-M-G is this ever GOOD! I did make one substitution though, I used balsamic vinegar (only because I love it) instead of cider vinegar. However, I think it would be good with any kind of vinegar. I for sure will be making this again. When I have to work nights my husband eats a lot of hamburgers. He will be in heaven when he puts this on it! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!!!! 🙂

    Reply

  83. This is, dare I say it, orgasmic. Wow. Double-wow. I normally do not follow recipes to the “T” but I did here except for cutting the whole recipe down by about 1/3. The description at the very top about the salty, sweet, tart and smoky chewiness describes this perfectly. I could not stop sampling the stuff after it was done. I have had it on bagels with cream cheese, waffles, sandwich bread and eggs, whole wheat bread, crescent rolls, rice, and potatoes and cheese. All great, even just by itself! The flavors of the coffee and maple syrup are also very important in the recipe as they produce a distinctive, gourmet flavor and compliment the smokiness of the bacon without muddling the individual flavors. The only thing I might do in the future (I plan to do this for Thanksgiving) will be to add a couple more garlic cloves….maybe.

    As for cooking the jam, I only needed to simmer this heavenly concoction for about 1 1/2 hours as it was syrupy and oozing thick goodness by then. I think the part in the recipe that instructs to boil the ingredients for two minutes (before putting the bacon back in) is an important step as it aids in a quicker caramelized final product. Also, I used a wok, so I don’t know if that made a difference.

    If you are the type of person who likes to dip your bacon in maple syrup when eating pancakes and waffles, this is for you! Enjoy.

    Reply

  84. I have seen other people ask, but no replies on a substitute for coffee. We don’t drink it, can’t stand the smell or taste of it. Is there a sub for the coffee or can we omit? Please HELP! I would love to make this, sounds amazing!

    Reply

    • I understand, Vicky, but I developed this recipe using coffee, so anything I’d suggest wouldn’t be tested and I’d hate to have you ruin 3 pounds of bacon on my untested idea. The coffee really disappears into the mix and isn’t definable in the end product, though. I’d love to hear your results if you decide to try to making this with something else!

      Reply

    • I haven’t tried it, but in researching bacon jam recipes, I saw it was suggested that black orange pekoe tea could be a substitute for coffee. I’m guessing you would have to brew it strong,with extra tea bags, just like you would the coffee. I personally use decaf coffee so I made this with decaf espresso. If I was going to attempt to sub the coffee, I might go with Dandy Blend, with is an instant powdered mix that is mostly barley, chicory, and dandelion root. It’s slightly sweet, and malty tasting. I use it to make a latte-like beverage and you can easily make it pretty strong too.

      Reply

  85. I made this recipe for Christmas gifts last year. Everyone loved it. My mistake ? Only keeping two jars for me. With 5 days to go until Christmas this year my friends have asked when I’ll be making more. Guess what I’m doing today? Awesome recipe! Happy Holidays!!

    Reply

  86. Making this turned me into a rabid animal for several hours and I ate almost anything readily available in the house. It tastes even better than it smells!! I made this in effort to replicate a “bacon miso jam” umami bomb from my favorite ramen shop. It was a very successful experiment. A whopping spoonful of this in a bowl of homemade ramen, or any other soup, is a game changer. It also has ruined “normal” club sandwiches for our family. haha! Thank you!!!!

    Reply

    • That is odd. It shouldn’t be that way. It sounds like a possible browser cache issue for you. Can you clear your cache and try another post to see if you see comments there?

      Reply

  88. Hey Rebecca, came across this recipe in your files and was wondering if it can be processed in a water bath or pressure cooker so it can sit on a shelf for 12 months. Do you have any knowledge on this to share? I’ve never processed things with meat, only frut jams, pie filling, etc.

    Reply

    • Hi Kimberly- I’m afraid this recipe is not suitable at all for home canning. It’s got a couple of strikes against it. Most importantly, it’s far too thick to can safely at home. Because it does have meat in it, if it were a thickness that was acceptable for home canning, it would indeed need to be pressure canned. Unfortunately, it’s pretty high in fat content which also is tricky with home canning. Fat can become rancid pretty easily which is why most home canned treats tend to be pretty lean in the fat department. That said, it does freeze beautifully and I regularly make and freeze it. I do addvise that!

      Reply

  89. I’ve had this recipe bookmarked for years. I’m finally making it to give to friends and neighbors for Christmas. It’s on the stove now and smell amazing! Can I use an immersion blender or vitamix for the final step? I don’t feel like hauling out the food processor. Thanks!

    Reply

    • Hey Andrea- I also do not drink coffee! It doesn’t have a coffee flavour that I can discern… it just adds a little something something to it. On the plus side, if you make it and detect coffee, I’m pretty certain just about anyone you know (shy of vegans) would love to take it off of your hands. 🙂

      Reply

  91. I don’t have a Dutch oven. (In our house, a dutch oven is farting under the blankets and pinning your kid/spouse underneath). I do have a pan that looks similar to a Dutch oven. It is stainless steel, with a heavy bottom and high sides. the sides are thin. Will this work? Thanks!

    Reply

  92. Eek! I think I like my definition of Dutch oven better 😀

    Any pan large enough to hold the contents while they bubble should work fine. If the bottom is heavy, that’s even better so you can prevent scorching!

    Reply

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  11. […] times during the Year of Meat. It all started with bacon jam, an idea that sprouted after reading this brilliantly charming post by Rebecca. I made several versions of bacon jam, playing the sweet, the spicy, the onion of the jam with the […]

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