Thyme and Cider Vinegar Onion Jam is a savory, home-cooked recipe that will have your mouth watering just by reading the title. The ingredients are easy to find in any grocery store, and this simple recipe can be made in about an hour. This onion jam makes for a great appetizer or side dish with almost anything you could imagine. It’s also perfect for those who want to start prepping their holiday dishes!
This recipe is great because it can be made in a crock pot and you just let the ingredients do their thing.
The recipe calls for:
– One large onion, diced into small cubes (approximately three cups)
– Four tablespoons of butter or margarine to sautee onions
– Eight cloves of garlic, minced finely with knife or food processor
– Two teaspoons dried thyme leaves or two tablespoon fresh ones if available, crumbled between fingers before adding to pan
– A couple pinch salt and pepper each, plus any other seasonings as desired like oregano or basil – but don’t overdo! Salt will bring natural sweetness out from the onions. Red wine vinegar should also be added about halfway through after the onions start to turn clear.
– One cup of water or apple cider vinegar for a sweet taste, rice wine vinegar if you want it more sour; but not both at once!
– Two tablespoons sugar (or substitute honey)
– Six teaspoons cornstarch mixed with two tablespoons cold water. Mixing these together creates a slurry which helps thicken up sauce and keep it from separating later on in cooking process
Instructions: Prep your ingredients first by dicing onion into small cubes and mincing garlic finely using knife or food processor, then grate thyme leaves onto those before adding them to pan.
– Cook until onions are clear and beginning to brown on edges (about ten minutes)
– Add liquids, bring it all up to a boil before reducing heat down to medium or low depending on stove top’s strength. Stir in cornstarch mixture slowly at first then more quickly as sauce gets thicker so you don’t end up with lumps! Continue stirring every few minutes while cooking for about twenty minutes or until desired thickness is reached – be careful not let this burn! You want your jam thick enough that it doesn’t run off toast but still warm and pourable like syrup over pancakes. Serve hot or cold, store in glass jar in fridge for two weeks without preservatives or canning jars if you’re feeling adventurous.
– I like to use a combination of thyme and rosemary for this recipe but feel free to experiment with other herbs!
Making the most of this recipe:
* for a more savory flavor, use red onion instead of white or yellow onions.
* add some finely grated lemon zest to the mixture if you have it in your pantry and want an extra citrus pop.
* make sure not to overcook this jam as the sugars will burn and crystallize on top, which is less than appetizing! If there are any lumps at all once your jam has cooled, spoon them out until they’re smooth before transferring into jars/containers. You can also strain through a sieve lined with cheesecloth for smoother consistency (not necessary). Stir occasionally while cooking over low heat so that sugar doesn’t stick to bottom of pan – when only bubbles rise up from the bottom, it’s done.
* try using a mix of red and yellow onion to achieve the traditional give-and-take color contrast that you typically see in homemade jams. Brown rice syrup is also an option if you have corn allergies or enjoy experimenting with different sugars for browning agents (molasses works well too!). The sugar can be replaced entirely by honey as another non-GMO substitute – just make sure your saucepan has high heat tolerances!
Steps: * In a large pot, combine onions with cider vinegar, thyme sprigs, water/dairy milk combo; bring mixture to boil over medium heat and reduce down until there are only small bubbles rising from the bottom of pan.
* Add the brown sugar and heat until it dissolves into a syrupy liquid. Cook for an additional 20 minutes, stirring occasionally to make sure all of the onions are covered with syrup; let cool briefly before adding apple cider vinegar and honey or molasses if not using brown rice syrup as your sweetener.
* Allow time for flavors to meld in a jar on your countertop – about 24 hours is perfect but you can cut that down if you’re impatient! Store jam in fridge after opening container and enjoy on toast, crackers, or any other bread-based appetizers at social gatherings where everyone’s noshing out of plastic containers instead of eating from real plates because they don’t have dishes so I guess this’ll have to do.
* For a different flavor variation, try adding fresh herbs like rosemary or thyme if you have them on hand!