Bacon And Whisky Jam With Coffee And Maple Syrup

Rich and dark and full of flavour, this bacon and whisky jam really is one that packs a punch. Sweet and savoury it will liven up everything from simple sandwiches to your breakfast eggs.

So is this a jam or a chutney? You don’t have to look for setting points like you do in jam making because you make this just as you do a chutney, super easy. Maybe it’s because of the maple syrup and that touch of sweetness that makes jam seem like the right name here, who knows.

This is a jam for the grownups. Maybe the perfect foodie gift for the man in your life. While we’re on the subject of those foodie gifts, check out my huge round-up of recipes for homemade liqueurs and edible gifts for Christmas.

Why you’re going to love this

• For the flavour – this is so rich with that combo of sweetness from the maple syrup and the savouriness of the onion and bacon. The blast of coffee and of course the warmth of a good dash of Scotch whisky. Seriously this will rock your plate if not your world!
• Because it’s so damn easy to make.
• This is seriously useful stuff, and I don’t just mean on toast and such, read on for more great uses for your bacon and whisky jam.

Ingredients

There aren’t a whole lot of ingredients in this recipe.

Smoked bacon – well that’s a must and go for the best you can get. Your favourite. We all have our fav types of bacon. For me it’s always Ayrshire bacon and smoked. You want smoked bacon for this jam recipe as that smokiness really makes the jam so much deeper in flavour.

Garlic, red onion and a chilli are the only other solid ingredients.

The rest are liquids; vinegar, maple syrup and of course whisky. Oh and coffee just to give you that extra wake-up call in the morning.

Full recipe ingredients and instructions can be found at the bottom of this post

Instructions

First, you want to chop the bacon and then fry it along with the garlic, onion and chilli. Just do this over a medium heat, you don’t want to go mad and frazzle the bacon completely.

You want everything to soften and brown and fill the kitchen with the most amazing aromas.

Now add all the other ingredients to the pan and let it simmer for about 45 minutes till it’s all rich and caramelised. The smell at this point is fabulous and would get anyone out of bed and heading for the kitchen.

Remove the pan from the heat and let it cool a little before scooping out the bacon jam and giving it a quick pulse in your food processor.

That’s it folks, you’ve just made bacon and whisky jam. Now all you have to do is ladle it into a couple of sterilised jars and you are good to go.

Notes

If you don’t have a food processor just chop everything up really finely at the beginning of the recipe.

You can use unsmoked bacon if that’s all you have but you won’t get that deep and smokey flavour.

Don’t like Scotch whisky? Then use bourbon instead.

You can use red wine vinegar if you don’t have cider vinegar for this recipe.

Storage

Your bacon and whisky jam will keep for up to a month in the fridge. And yes, you can freeze this jam for up to 3 months.

How to serve bacon and whisky jam

Okay so the obvious one here is to spread this all over your toast in the morning and have a brekkie like no other.

On a toasted cheese sandwich or just with anything on toast s I’ve done with my avocado and grilled tomatoes. Or with a fried egg on toast for a super-fast bacon and egg breakfast feast.

Now let’s think off the toast – use your bacon jam with any sort of BBQ meats or with burgers for an extra boost of rich meatiness and flavour.

Add a little bowl to your cheeseboard.

Stir this bacon jam into your gravy when you are making a roast. Oh boy, that extra flavour will really make your gravy sing for its supper.

Add some into a stew for some extra flavour or just ramp up your mince and potatoes. You can also add some bacon and whisky jam to your spaghetti bolognese too.

Another great idea for a foodie gift for Christmas.

Looking for more seriously savoury treats to make for family and friends? Then check these out before you go;

How to make traditional British Gentleman’s Relish

French fromage fort

Red onion marmalade

Traditional English potted cheese

Hot and fiery homemade mustard

Finally, if you do try this recipe don’t forget to leave a comment/star rating below as I just love to hear from readers. Want more Larder Love? Then follow me on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter and sign up for my newsletter too of course.