One of my absolute favourite condiment spreads in the world is my homemade Jack Daniels blueberry bacon jam with blueberries from my own plants. (store bought or frozen in fine too, lol) As usual, there are a plethora of different recipes out there. I have experimented with many of them over the years and this is the one I am sharing with you. Don’t let the simplicity of this dish fool you. It will produce a very complex and delicious result. I use this on many different items. Kind of like a replacement for steak sauces or chutneys. Sometimes I put it on beef, sometimes on pork, or sometimes in a grilled cheese! The choices are endless. Easy to make and keeps for weeks in the fridge. ( never lasts that long. ) This recipe is a bit spicy but if it’s too much for you simply lighten up on the chipotle and you can find your own zen.
Makes: Approx 900 grams (31 ounces). Cooking time: 90 minutes. Difficulty: Super Easy.
JD Blueberry Bacon Jam Ingredients:
- 450 gr. (12 oz.) double smoked thick cut bacon.
- 250 gr. (9 oz. ) ripe blueberries.
- two whole medium onions, well caramelized.
- 60 ml. ( 1/4 cup ) Black Label Jack Daniels
- 60 ml. ( 1/4 cup ) Brown Sugar.
- 28 gr. ( 1 oz. ) garlic. ( I usually add more, but I really like garlic.)
- 5 gr. ( .2 oz.) Chipotle powder. ( cut in half if not a fan of heat)
- 28 gr. ( 1 oz. )apple cider vinegar.
- 28 gr. ( 1 oz. ) balsamic vinegar.
- 28 gr. ( 1 oz. ) Maggi sauce
- water as needed for reduction.
Recipe for JD Blueberry Bacon Jam:
- Dice bacon and place in frying pan with a little water. (see video) Set heat on high until water has completely evaporated and the bacon is now frying in the fat. Lower heat to half until golden brown.
- Drain fat from bacon and set aside.
- Next place blueberries in small pot and add water until it barely covers the berries. Heat on low until berries breakdown into a loose jelly like mixture.
- Take the reserved fat and heat in pan until hot. Add diced onions and caramelize until dark.
- At this point you can drain off fat and add onions, bacon and all other ingredients into the pot of blueberries and stir. ( I leave most of the fat in ) Add a bit more water and let simmer on low, uncovered for about an hour or until it has a thick jam like consistency. Stir every 10 minutes.
- If you want a fine consistency use a hand wand or blender for just a few pulses. I prefer to keep it chunky. Done!
I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do, and as always if you have any questions or comments please let me know.