The Best Damn Bacon Jam Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How long will homemade bacon jam keep? ›

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.

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.

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...

For safety, we strongly recommend that bacon jam be refrigerated for times suggested by the recipe (2-4 weeks) or that it be frozen for longer storage.

Shelf Life of Homemade Jam

Typically, homemade jam will last around 6 to 12 months when unopened and stored properly. Once opened, it should be consumed within 1 to 3 months to ensure the best taste and quality.

As soon as a package of bacon has been opened, it is exposed to bacteria in the air. This bacteria instantly begins a chemical reaction on the meat that leads to it going bad. Even if you are able to reseal it well, chances are it will be bad after about a week.

I do occasionally add a satchel of lemon wedges to a jam when I know there is likely to be lower amounts of pectin, like with strawberries. This helps add extra pectin that the berries don't have, but in lower amounts than if I were adding commercial pectin.

While you can simply reduce the jam to your liking, you can also add commercial pectin or chia seeds to the reducing jam to guarantee thickening.

If the jam is still liquid then we don't particularly recommend reboiling. It can be tried but there is a risk that the jam becomes over boiled, which also means that it will not set. The jam can also burn much more easily when reboiled. The thin jam can be repurposed as a sweet chilli sauce.

What bread is best with jam? ›

Bread. Let's start with the most obvious choice and certainly one of the favorites: jam on bread. Literally, any kind of bread becomes delicious with a touch of jam. Make your jam sandwich with white bread but also try challah or French brioche.

A light, neutral-flavored bread like white or wheat works well with fruit jam, as it allows the jam's flavors to stand out without overpowering them.

Spread it on a burger, brie or crusty bread. PBJ, BLT, grilled cheese. Mix it into a potato salad. You'll see.

But, common sense says toast is warm, so butter it first so it can melt and soak in a bit. Then add your jelly or jam. If you like lots of butter and want it the same consistency as the jam and jelly, do it last after the toast has cooled.

The toast needs to be spread liberally with butter, but the jam should be a 1-2mm screed across the top. No pools, no lumps, no hillocks. If you overdo it, the jam will create an overbearingly sweet mouthful. The flavour should be butter, underpinned by toast, the jam a restrained spritz of fruity sweetness up top.