Learn how to make this delicious Red Onion Jam with caramelized onions and lightly sweetened with maple sugar.
This sweet & savory jam is great on burgers, with a grilled steak, or try it with cream cheese and crackers. There’s so many different ways you could use this.
Because this jam is lightly sweetened with maple sugar, is considered low carb or paleo-friendly.
What is maple sugar? Simply enough, maple sugar is just dehydrated maple syrup.
To Make Red Onion Jam You Will Need:
- red onions
- light olive oil (or other neutral oil)
- maple sugar
- bottled lemon juice
- apple cider vinegar
- kosher salt
- kitchen scale
- hot water bath or steam canner
- canning tools (jar lifter, bubble wand, etc.)
- non-reactive pot
- ladle
- white vinegar
- small dish
- damp cloth
- half pint mason jars with lids
Watch me make this recipe in the video below:
To begin, combine sliced red onions and oil in a large, non-reactive pot. Cook these together on medium low heat, stirring often.
Cook until the onions are reduced and beginning to caramelize. You do not want brown crispy bits, so make sure you don’t cook them too long.
When the onions have reduced by half, turn the heat up to a medium-high temperature and add maple sugar and cook for 3-4 minutes, stir frequently. You will cook these until the maple sugar is dissolved and begins to have a caramelized fragrance, similar to a crème brulée scent.
Add in apple cider vinegar and lemon juice. Stir to combine.
Reduce the heat and add in the salt. Cook until the vinegar has cooked down and thickened into a syrupy consistency.
Remove the pot from the heat and begin the canning process.
Ladle the jam into prepared half pint canning jars, leaving a 1/2 inch headspace.
Remove any air bubbles with a bubble wand and adjust the volume to maintain the head space if needed.
Wipe the rims of the jars with a damp cloth that is dipped in white vinegar to remove any residue.
Close the jars with a lid and ring. Repeat with all of the jam.
Process the jam in your canner for 10 minutes.
Allow the jars to rest on a lined surface in a draft-free location for 12-24 hours.
Remove the rings and test the seals. Label the jars and store them in your pantry.
If you have a jar that did not seal, place it in your fridge to use.
Enjoy!
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Red Onion Jam – Easy Canning Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 lb red onions, sliced then weighed
- 1 Tb light olive oil, or other neutral oil
- 1 c maple sugar
- 1 1/2 c apple cider vinegar
- 2 Tb lemon juice, bottled
- 1 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
Instructions
- To begin, combine the sliced onions and oil in a large, non-reactive pot. Cook these together on medium low heat, stirring often. Cook until the onions are reduced and beginning to caramelize. You do not want brown crispy bits, so make sure you don't cook them too long.
- When the onions have reduced by half, turn the heat up to a medium-high temperature and add the maple sugar and cook for 3-4 minutes, stir frequently. You will cook these until the maple sugar is dissolved and begins to have a caramelized fragrance, similar to a crème brulée scent.
- Add in the apple cider vinegar and lemon juice. Stir to combine.
- Reduce the heat and add in the salt. Cook until the vinegar has cooked down and thickened into a syrupy consistency.
- Remove the pot from the heat and begin the canning process.
- Ladle the jam into prepared half pint canning jars, leaving a 1/2 inch headspace.
- Remove any air bubbles with a bubble wand and adjust the volume to maintain the head space if needed.
- Wipe the rims of the jars with a damp cloth that is dipped in white vinegar to remove any residue.
- Close the jars with a lid and ring. Repeat with all of the jam.
- Process the jam in your canner for 10 minutes.
- Allow the jars to rest on a lined surface in a draft-free location for 12-24 hours.
- Remove the rings and test the seals. Label the jars and store them in your pantry.
- If you have a jar that did not seal, place it in your fridge to use.
- Enjoy!
Equipment Used
Nutrition
If nutritional values are provided for this recipe, they are an estimate and will vary depending on the brands of ingredients you use. The values do not include optional ingredients or when ingredients are added to taste or for serving. If nutritional values are very important to you, I suggest using your favorite nutritional calculating tool with the brands you use.
Thank you, I plan to try this soon, but Is this a tested/approved recipe?
Yummm! Got this in the water bath now. Sneaked a few bites … I used maple syrup instead and a bit of brown sugar, too. Delish! Thanks!