I'm sorry, did someone say "Bacon Jam"?

You know Mummy is in town when we start eating things like bacon jam. Not just any amateur cook dares to mix sweet and savory, but Mummy is just one such daring lady! When she first mentioned it, I wasn't sure just when one eats bacon jam, but she made a couple of compelling suggestions that swayed me in a flash. Apparently there's a lady who serves the stuff on a crepe, filled with a lightly scrambled egg and a little bit of cheddar cheese at a farmer's market near Mummy's house. The prospect of that made me want to do three things: 1.) Make bacon jam. 2.) Learn how to make crepes! 3.) Get on the first plane to that farmer's market!! 


However, the other serving suggestion requires neither a plane trip nor a new skill (or skillet), so it also appealed to me. The idea is to spread a cracker with a soft goat cheese and a dollop of bacon jam and call it a gorgeous appetizer. Yes please! So, now that we know how we're going to eat this mythical savory jam, let me tell you how we're going to make it! 

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds sliced bacon, cut crosswise into 1-inch pieces
• 2 medium yellow onions, diced small
• 3 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
• 1/2 cup cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup packed dark-brown sugar
• 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
• 3/4 cup brewed coffee

Directions

1. In a large skillet, cook bacon over medium-high, stirring occasionally, until fat is rendered and bacon is lightly browned, about 20 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper towels to drain. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat from skillet (reserve for another use); add onions and garlic, and cook until onions are translucent, about 6 minutes. Add vinegar, brown sugar, maple syrup, and coffee and bring to a boil, stirring and scraping up browned bits from skillet with a wooden spoon, about 2 minutes. Add bacon and stir to combine.
2. Transfer mixture to a 6-quart slow cooker and cook on high, uncovered, until liquid is syrupy, 3 1/2 to 4 hours. Transfer to a food processor; pulse until coarsely chopped. Let cool, then refrigerate in airtight containers, up to 4 weeks.

The whole process was pretty painless, especially since it's just simmering away in the slow-cooker, requiring nothing of you except occasionally walking past it and commenting on how good the whole house smells now that it's filled with the aroma of cooking bacon... Once the jam was finished reducing, Mummy sent it into the food processor to be chopped, and then I divided it up into a bunch of little jars so I could give the gift of bacon to my most beloved friends and family.

I happen to be a really big dork and cut some fabric to make the jars look a little more festive, and then stuck those "From The Kitchen Of" stickers on too, because I'd just discovered them in a drawer while Irene and I were organizing the city apartment. This is especially Martha-Stewart-insane of me, but I assure you, the jam is just as good out of a regular tupperware as it is from my crazy-happy-home-maker jars. : )

Give it a shot! You won't regret it...