Sweet Balsamic Onion Relish Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is onion jam made of? ›

Saute onion in hot oil until soft and caramelized, 10 to 12 minutes. Add water, balsamic vinegar, and brown sugar; stir until sugar is dissolved and mixture is simmering. Reduce heat to low and cook until mixture thickens and reaches desired consistency, about 30 minutes.

Both a jam and a chutney will contain sugar, although a jam would be much sweeter, with the chutney having a more acidic, tangy flavour from the addition of vinegar. To preserve a chutney a combination of vinegar and sugar are used, whilst in a jam it is the sugar alone which acts as the preserving agent.

This is sometimes referred to as 'onion marmalade' but I think jam is a more accurate description, and it's the perfect partner to cheese, sausages and left-over stuffing. The onions are first caramelised in butter, before simmering in a syrup of red wine, dark muscovado sugar and top-drawer vinegar.

However, opened cans of onion jams should be refrigerated and would be good for three to six months, but not for a year since onion jams can spoil easily. Do check the onion jams for molds and yeasts. If they emit a sour and fermenting smell, then it's best to toss them in the bin.

Jam consists of fruit that's crushed or chopped and cooked with sugar (and sometimes pectin and an acid) until the pieces of fruit are soft and lose their shape. As the mixture cooks, water evaporates and it thickens to a spreadable consistency, though it still may have some pieces of fruit.

Commercial pectin is obtained from the peel of citrus fruits, which have a naturally high pectin content. An important part of jam is, of course, the sugar content, which is vital for the flavour and also plays a role in helping jam set. Many jam recipes recommend the use of a 1:1 ratio of fruit to sugar in jam-making.