Tart cranberries bring a new fruity dimension to this fabulous bacon jam. A perfectly balanced relish to serve on sandwiches and canapes or alongside your favourite roast.
Cranberry and bacon jam
I love this cranberry and bacon jam, a salty, sweet and totally moreish relish with the added twist of plump tart fruit that is great for jazzing up all sorts of snacks, sandwiches and suppers.
See also
- Bacon jam – the original
- With the extra sweetness of an onion marmalade, this bacon onion jam is irresistible
- Try this jalapeno bacon jam for a lively twist on the theme
This cranberry bacon jam is a real winner that goes especially well with all those Thanksgiving and Christmas dishes. The tart cranberries add an extra dimension to the salt bacon and sweet onions and sugar.
Try this cranberry bacon jam in the ultimate turkey club sandwich.
Why make cranberry bacon jam
- It’s packed with flavour and hard to resist
- Delicious on anything from cheese to roast turkey
- A great addition to a festive table
Cranberry bacon jam ingredients
- Bacon – Ideally, dry cured back bacon. I prefer smoked, as brings an extra layer of flavour.
- Onion – any yellow onions, chopped to around the size of the bacon pieces
- Garlic – two large cloves, peeled and finely chopped
- Cranberries – using dried cranberries (soak them first) means you can make this all year round, or use up an open jar or homemade cranberry sauce
- Coffee – Espresso or a strong, good-quality instant coffee, for a hint of balancing bitterness and depth of flavour
- Sugar – soft brown, either light or dark as you prefer
- Balsamic vinegar – Choose one with some body – nothing too thin
How to make cranberry bacon jam – step by step
Before you start, read my step-by-step instructions, with photos, hints and tips so you can make this cranberry and bacon jam recipe perfectly every time.
Scroll down for the recipe card with quantities and more tips at the bottom of the page.
Step One – Start by putting clean, dry jars in the oven to sterilize and warm.
Soak the dried cranberries until they are soft and plump, and then drain before use.
Step Two – Cut the bacon into 1 cm pieces. Fry gently in a little oil over a very low heat.
Stir occasionally and fry for about 15 minutes until the bacon is cooked and takes on a golden colour.
Good quality bacon shouldn’t release water, but if this happens, drain the bacon in a sieve and then return the bacon to the pan. This is important, because liquid in the pan will prevent the bacon from frying properly.
Fuss Free Tip
Use a pair of good sharp kitchen scissors to snip the bacon, dropping it straight into the pan so you can start cooking it as you go.
While the bacon is frying, peel and chop the onions into pieces of a similar size to the bacon. Peel and finely chop the garlic.
When cooked, remove the bacon from the pan and set aside. Drain off most of the rendered bacon fat, leaving a little to fry the onions.
Step Three – Fry the onions gently until they are soft, golden and fragrant. This will take ten to fifteen minutes. Don’t try to speed them up or you will get crispy onions rather the than meltingly soft ones you need.
Step Four – Return the bacon to the pan, add the remaining ingredients and stir well.
Step Four – Simmer gently over a low heat, so that the sugar dissolves and you create a syrup with the consistency of maple syrup. Stir all the while. The liquid will thicken as it cools , so don’t reduce it too far.
Step Five – Fill small, sterilized jars with your cranberry bacon jam, and seal them tight. I always use a jam funnel, because it saves mess and waste. The recipe makes around 400 ml or around one and a half cups, so choose small jars, and store them in the fridge once cool.
Serving suggestions
Cranberry bacon jam is great on just about anything. Bring it up to room temperature to serve, so the syrup can loosen and any remain fat melt.
Serve it with roast turkey or chicken, on the side or added to your stuffing.
Try it on goat’s cheese croutons or bruschetta as a starter or use it to dress a baked camembert.
Use it in a squash or pumpkin galette.
Add it to your favourite sandwiches or use it to top a savoury pie or tart.
Add it to a brie toastie.
Storage
Fridge – Store your cranberry bacon jam in the jar with the lid on for up to three weeks. Take what you need out before serving, to bring it up to room temperature. Remember that cranberry bacon jam is not a jam in the traditional sense of a preserve. You need to keep it in the fridge and use it fairly quickly.
Freezer – Cranberry bacon jam can be frozen and you can keep it in the freezer for three months. It has the advantage that it will not freeze solid, so you can scoop it from the jar straight from the freezer. The downside to this is that you need to make sure the lid is on tight and keep it upright to avoid leaks.
Hints and tips
- Use good bacon.
- You can add a little oil at the start. You will drain off any excess fat once the bacon is cooked.
- Fry both the bacon and onion gently over a medium heat and take your time. Never rush them.
- Serve at room temperature to get the best flavour.
FAQs
Yes, and it is actually advisable. The ‘jam’ doesn’t store in the way that fruit jam will. It will not freeze solid and can therefore be removed a bit at a time from the freezer. Just be sure to keep the jar upright.
This recipe is not the same sort of preserving process as making conventional jam or canning. Don’t keep it for longer than three weeks (unless you freeze it), and keep it in the fridge. You could risk food poisoning if you try to treat it like ordinary jam.
You could use water or perhaps apple or cranberry juice to compensate for the liquid. You would lose the touch of bitterness from the coffee that balances the other flavours and adds depth, however. I promise that the relish does not taste of coffee, so do try it!
More related recipes
- Baked Camembert – delicious with your bacon and onion jam!
- Easy Sticky Onion Marmalade – another moreish sweet-and-savoury topping or addition to all sorts of dishes.
- Preserved Lemons – Southern Mediterranean magic for all sorts of dishes
- Roasted Sweet Pepper and Tomato Chutney – a lovely, light, piquant relish
Cranberry Bacon Jam Recipe
Ingredients
- 50 g (0.5 cups) dried cranberries (or 100 g cranberry sauce )
- 1 tsp oil (olive or vegetable)
- 200 g smoked back bacon (6–7 rashers)
- 3 medium onions
- 2 cloves garlic
- 100 g (0.5 cups) soft brown sugar (light or dark)
- 60 ml (¼ cup) coffee
- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
Instructions
- Sterilize small sealable jars ready for the jam and soak the cranberries, leaving them to plump up as you cook the bacon and onions.50 g dried cranberries
- Heat a little oil in the pan and snip the bacon into it with a pair of kitchen scissors. Fry gently until the bacon is golden, draining off any liquid that emerges. This will take about 15 minutes.1 tsp oil, 200 g smoked back bacon
- When cooked, remove the bacon from the pan and set to one side. Leave a little of the rendered fat in the pan to cook the onions and discard the rest.
- Add the onions to the pan and fry slowly and gently over a lowish heat until soft and golden.3 medium onions
- Return the bacon to the pan, adding the drained cranberries and the remaining ingredients. Stir well.2 cloves garlic, 100 g soft brown sugar, 60 ml coffee, 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- Gently simmer over a low heat, stirring constantly until the sugar, vinegar and coffee have formed a syrup and reduced slightly. (It will continue to thicken as it cools, so don't reduce too far.)
- Transfer your cranberry bacon jam to small, sterilized jars, and then seal. I like to use a jam funnel to do this, as it saves mess and waste.
Notes
Storage
Fridge – Store your cranberry bacon jam in the jar with the lid on for up to three weeks. Take what you need out before serving, to bring it up to room temperature. Remember that cranberry bacon jam is not a jam in the traditional sense of a preserve. You need to keep it in the fridge and use it fairly quickly.
Freezer – Cranberry bacon jam can be frozen and you can keep it in the freezer for three months. It has the advantage that it will not freeze solid, so you can scoop it from the jar straight from the freezer. The downside to this is that you need to make sure the lid is on tight and keep it upright to avoid leaks.
Hints and tips
- Use good bacon.
- You can add a little oil at the start. You will drain off any excess fat once the bacon is cooked.
- Fry both the bacon and onion gently over a medium heat and take your time. Never rush them.
- Serve at room temperature to get the best flavour.
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