Easy Homemade Bacon Jam Recipe - Urban Bliss Life (2024)

Published: / Updated: by Marlynn Jayme Schotland · This post may contain affiliate links.

Jump to RecipePrint Recipe

This homemade bacon jam recipe is so easy to make! It's a delicious spread to use on toast, as a sandwich spread, on a crostini as an appetizer, and more!

Easy Homemade Bacon Jam Recipe - Urban Bliss Life (1)

My love for bacon is no secret, nor is my love for wine.

Do the two pair well together? Despite my favorite line "everything is better with bacon," not every wine pairs well with the beloved meat candy.

One wine that does pair well with bacon: Gallo Family Vineyards' Hearty Burgundy.

Gallo Family Vineyards Hearty Burgundy

Easy Homemade Bacon Jam Recipe - Urban Bliss Life (2)

Recently, Gallo Family Vineyard's celebrated its 50th anniversary of its iconic red blend, Hearty Burgundy.

Winemakers Ernest and Julio Gallo first introduced this red blend in 1964. It's a fuller medium-bodied blend, comprised of delicious dark berry and plum notes. I like that it's not too oaky, nor too fruity: it's somewhere in the "just right" category for each of those descriptors.

Easy Homemade Bacon Jam Recipe - Urban Bliss Life (3)

The Gallo brothers loved how this blend reminded them of wines they would enjoy in Italy at meal times surrounded by family.After tasting it myself, I could quickly see how this was an ideal wine to share with friends and family over great conversation and hearty laughs. It is definitely MY kind of red wine: big, bold, full of deep, dark berry flavor with each sip.

You could easily pair this wine with any number of hefty, meaty meals. It would go beautifully with such as with steak frites, a big bowl of my Tri-Pepper Pasta, or even my Sausage and Peppers dish.

But I wanted to pair this with appetizers that would work well for entertaining guests. It does, after all, come in a 1.5 liter bottle, which is the perfect size bottle to enjoy with friends!

You already know I'm going the bacon direction here, right? I quickly decided to pair this with two bacon dishes: Bacon Jam and Bacon Wrapped Dates Stuffed with Goat Cheese.

And I didn't have to wait until International Bacon Day to make them. As luck would have it, I was hosting the next Bunco night. The perfect opportunity to share and test out the pairings!

How do you make bacon jam?

Making jam is fairly simple, but time consuming. At least, it is for this working mother of two younger kids. Is it worth it? YES. Absolutely. I have the full bacon jam recipe and directions at the bottom of this post.

The basic bacon jam recipe is:

  • cook the bacon in a skillet
  • remove bacon and sauté onions and garlic, making sure to scrape up all that yummy bacon bit goodness that might be stuck to the pan
  • then you add the cider vinegar, maple syrup, and the bacon back to the pan and simmer.
  • next, place the entire mixture in a slow cooker and cook on high for 3.5 to 4 hours. Finally, you blend the mixture in a food processor.

The ingredients and steps are simple (but like I said, just time consuming), and in the end you get about 2.5 cups of tasty Bacon Jam!

I served it with goat cheese and sliced baguette. You can also serve this on toast for breakfast; as a condiment with a tasty sandwich; or smother it over some pork chops for dinner. It's versatile, and it keeps in an airtight container in the refrigerator for a couple of weeks (if it lasts that long!).

Hearty Burgundy Pairing With Bacon Jam

Easy Homemade Bacon Jam Recipe - Urban Bliss Life (6)

How did this appetizer fare with the Gallo Family Vineyards Hearty Burgundy? I personally enjoyed it. I thought the berries in the Hearty Burgundy brought out the sweetness of the Bacon Jam.

A reminder: when it comes to wine pairings, go with your gut, and follow your taste buds. Just as we don't all taste wines the same, our palettes don't all agree with certain pairings. You won't know until you try -- and I definitely think you should at least try this pairing (because it's delicious!!).

Easy Homemade Bacon Jam Recipe - Urban Bliss Life (7)

Ingredients

  • 8 slices bacon
  • 1 cup chopped onions
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • cup apple cider vinegar
  • ½ cup maple syrup
  • ½ cup packed light brown sugar

Instructions

  • Cook the bacon in a skillet.

  • Once cooked, remove bacon and all but one tablespoon of reserve bacon fat. Sauté onions and garlic, making sure to gently scrape up all that yummy bacon bit goodness that might be stuck to the pan.

  • Then add the cider vinegar, maple syrup, and brown sugar to the pan, and add the bacon back to the pan, and simmer for 2-3 minutes.

  • Next, place the entire mixture in a slow cooker and cook on high for 2 to 3 hours or on low for 4-5 hours.

  • Finally, blend the mixture in a food processor. Serve immediately or let cool to room temperature, and then store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Notes

Bacon jam will keep in the refrigerator for up to 5-7 days.

Tried this recipe?Please leave a star rating and comment! Then snap a pic of your dish and share it on social media. Tag @UrbanBlissLife and #UrbanBlissLife!

Nutrition information is a general estimate. Actual nutrition details may vary depending on the exact foods & brands you use to make this recipe. It does not take into account any substitutions, toppings, or optional ingredients.


Disclosure: this post is sponsored by Gallo Family Vineyards, and I am compensated as part of the Mom It Forward blogger network. All photos and opinions are my own.

« Jordan Winery in Sonoma

Coffee Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Frozen Yogurt »

Get recipes, travel tips, deals and more delivered to your inbox!

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Ranch Office says

    Easy Homemade Bacon Jam Recipe - Urban Bliss Life (8)
    Thanks for this awesome recipe! Glad I stopped by.

    Reply

  2. Ann says

    Sounds good! What are the measurements of the ingredients for the bacon jam?
    Dates are excellent and a huge hit at our work party!

    Reply

  3. san francisco County virtual office space says

    Fantastic web site. Plenty of helpful info here. I'm sending it to a few friends ans additionally sharing in delicious.
    And naturally, thanks in your effort!

    Reply

  4. Kimberly Carlson says

    Those look DELICIOUS! Bacon wrapped dates are my favorite new party dish.

    Reply

  5. Marlynn Jayme Schotland says

    Thanks, Jane!

    Reply

  6. Marlynn Jayme Schotland says

    Mary Ann, they are SO good -- it's the only way I will eat dates! :) Thanks for pinning!

    Reply

  7. Mary Ann says

    Yum! Those dates look amazing! Who doesn't love bacon everything, right? Pinned your recipe for later!

    Reply

  8. Marlynn Jayme Schotland says

    All bacon, all the time! ;)

    Reply

  9. Jane {In the Pink and Green} says

    I LOVE bacon, so these recipes are right up my alley! They both look delicious, thanks for sharing!

    Reply

  10. Pech says

    Yay for sharing bacon jam recipes! It's true, bacon IS a gateway food!

    Reply

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Easy Homemade Bacon Jam Recipe - Urban Bliss Life (2024)

FAQs

How long does homemade bacon jam last in the fridge? ›

Bacon jam can be safely refrigerated for two to four weeks. Any amount that you keep in the fridge will need to be used within that length of time. You can store bacon jam in any refrigerator-safe container. Many bacon jam enthusiasts choose to use mason jars for aesthetic reasons.

What is bacon jam made of? ›

Bacon jam is a spreadable condiment made from bacon, onions, brown sugar, vinegar, and maple syrup. The bacon is fried until crispy then mixed with the other ingredients and cooked down until the mixture becomes thick and spreadable.

Why is my bacon jam not thickening? ›

To achieve a thick texture, all of the liquids need time to reduce. Make sure you're cooking your bacon jam without a lid over your Dutch oven, so your bacon jam can evaporate. If it's still not thick enough, it just needs more time.

What pairs well with bacon jam? ›

Our list of things we want to use this jam in is ever-growing. Here are just a few to get you started: warm potato salad, grilled asparagus, fresh tomatoes, panzanella, grilled cheese, crackers and goat cheese, spinach salad, a spoon, fresh garden peas, scrambled eggs, bagels and cream cheese...

Can you freeze homemade bacon jam? ›

Freezing: For longer storage, freeze this savory jam. Leave some headspace at the top of the jar when you fill it up and store it in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Thawing: Transfer to the refrigerator to thaw and keep for up to 2 weeks after moving to the refrigerator.

Can you leave bacon jam out overnight? ›

Please do not store bacon jam at room temperature. Storing bacon jam at room temperature poses the risk of botulism, a serious foodborne illness caused by the nerve toxin produced by Clostridium botulinum, a spore forming bacteria.

Why does homemade jam taste better? ›

A homemade jam with seasonal fruit or vegetables has a decidedly different flavor: more authentic, genuine. The advice we give you is to always follow seasonality because every season has its own delicacies and if caught in the right period will really allow you to capture all the essence to keep it in a jar.

What bacteria is in homemade jam? ›

By boiling the jams or preserves for a while and adding sugar, the risk of getting any bacterial growth in your jars is extremely low. Also, most fruits don't have contact with the soil where this bacterium often grows.

What is the pink stuff on bacon? ›

On the other hand, cured bacon is preserved with a combination of salt and sodium nitrites, giving the raw product that extra pink color we've all come to know. The added nitrates and nitrite found in cured bacon help preserve the product a little longer.

Does lemon juice thicken jam? ›

Lemon is crucial to balancing those sweet flavors, but it also helps the pectin to firm up the jam. It can be added at the start of the cooking process or towards the end, but what must be taken into account is that adding liquids to the jam mixture will inevitably require the jam to cook for longer.

What to use instead of pectin? ›

Cornstarch - Another plant-based thickening agent, cornstarch is a great substitute for pectin. Gelatin - For non-vegan menu items, you can substitute gelatin for pectin, but it will yield a different consistency.

Does homemade jam thicken when it cools? ›

Yes, jam will be quite runny when it's hot, and then will thicken and set as it cools. Sometimes it can take 24-48 hours for the pectin to fully set.

What is uncured bacon jam used for? ›

Pairs perfectly with breakfast, lunch, or dinner items and can even be blended to create bacon-flavored toppings, dips, or coatings.

What is hot bacon jam? ›

March 22, 2021. This Hot Honey Bacon Jam is one of those recipes that I get REALLY excited about, and I hope you do too! If you're new to bacon jam, it consists of sweet caramelized onions and bacon. It's pulsed in a food processor to break everything into small pieces while still having plenty of texture.

Does homemade jam go bad in fridge? ›

A: Opened home-canned jams and jellies should be kept in the refrigerator at 40°F or lower. “Regular” – or pectin-added, full-sugar – cooked jams and jellies are best stored for 1 month in the refrigerator after opening. They may last longer depending on the specific product and how it is used.

How long does homemade bacon last in the fridge? ›

If you've cooked up more bacon than you can eat, you can store it in a well-sealed container for five to seven days in the refrigerator before it goes bad. If you don't think you'll be able to eat it in that time, you can freeze cooked bacon for about a month.

Can bacon last 10 days in fridge? ›

You can keep bacon in the refrigerator at 40 ºF or below for one week. Bacon can also be frozen at 0 ºF for four months (for best quality).

How long do homemade bacon bits last in fridge? ›

Can homemade bacon bits be stored at room temperature? Homemade bacon bits should always be stored in the refrigerator or frozen for longer storage. Bacon bits will last 4-5 days in the refrigerator in an airtight container or up to 6 months in the freezer.

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Golda Nolan II

Last Updated:

Views: 5987

Rating: 4.8 / 5 (58 voted)

Reviews: 89% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Golda Nolan II

Birthday: 1998-05-14

Address: Suite 369 9754 Roberts Pines, West Benitaburgh, NM 69180-7958

Phone: +522993866487

Job: Sales Executive

Hobby: Worldbuilding, Shopping, Quilting, Cooking, Homebrewing, Leather crafting, Pet

Introduction: My name is Golda Nolan II, I am a thoughtful, clever, cute, jolly, brave, powerful, splendid person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.