Cranberry Bacon Jam Recipe (2024)

FAQs

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...

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.

While both are cranberry-based spreads, they differ in texture and sweetness. Cranberry jam tends to have a smoother, more spreadable consistency compared to the thicker cranberry sauce. Moreover, jam typically includes a higher sugar content, making it sweeter.

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. Why is botulism such a big deal? Botulism is as serious as food poisoning gets.

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.

Jam-making, after all, is a controlled evaporation of water, so if you accidentally take too much out, you can always add a little back in. If you don't have jars or other glass containers, allow the jam to cool in the pot, then transfer it to an airtight container and store it in the fridge.

I did a bunch of canning and jam recipes last summer from Ball's book of canning. With the sugar, citrus and pectin, they recommend 18 months but you should be able to judge by the look, smell and taste if you are worried about it. If it smells bad or the lid pops, its a good indication that its gone bad.

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.

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.

Can you reboil jam if it doesn't set? ›

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.

First, you wait. Give the jam 24-48 hours to set up (because truly, sometimes it can take that long for pectin to reach the finished set). If it still hasn't set, it's time to determine how much jam needs to be recooked. You don't want to remake more than 8 cups (4 pints) at a time.

Costs are up

That includes cranberry sauce, whose price is up about 18% compared to last year because cranberry crops are smaller this year, sparking a supply squeeze.

It's perfectly fine to serve up cranberry sauce — whole berry or jelled — straight out of the can. But in my experience, heating the canned sauce up takes its flavor to the next level. Plus, it becomes a little more aesthetically pleasing.

Fresh cranberry juice is often blended with other delicious fruits, and the leftover pulp is just as wonderful. Put that pulp to use with this festive Cranberry Chutney! Delicious spread on crostini with brie cheese or served alongside turkey, pork or chicken.

For a quick appetizer, pour over cream cheese and serve with crackers. Use straight out of the jar as a dip. Pairs perfectly with strong cheeses. Delicious served with grilled fish and chicken or as a condiment on a sandwich, wrap or Panini.

For an extra festive (and useful!) touch, you might bundle jars of jam, jelly, and marmalade with a pretty dish towel, a spoon, or an edible accompaniment, like bread or cheese.