Red Onion Jam

This Red Onion Jam recipe is so easy, yet so delicious! You can use this jam as a sandwich spread, and create the tastiest mushrooms on toast, or as a companion to your cheese and biscuits board!

Welcome to the first post in August!

And I will keep it quick and simple today, because I'm occupied planning our holiday road trip, which is in less than two weeks!

I seriously don't know how it is possible we are already over a half way there with the summer? Where did the time go?!?

And as much as I do not wish for the summer to end, I kinda do look forward to the autumn already. Mainly, because I can eat all the jams I've been making in the summer... But also, because the chunky knits will be out, and some of my favourite TV series will be coming out (Outlander being a top priority).

However, we are not there yet. We are still in the summer (despite the weather in UK being horrendous), and there are still many jams to be made, before the next season starts! So, today's recipe is slightly different to your traditional jam. It's made with red onions, instead of sweet and juicy fruits, as you would expect the jam to be. But do not dismiss it just yet! If you think that onion jam sounds yuck, and there is no way you will like it, I challenge you to try this!

The onion jam can be made with white onions as well as red. I choose red ones, because I love that purplish red skin, and their white flesh tinged with red. They are also milder and sweeter in flavour. However, as mentioned before, white onion will also work, because they will be caramelized, so that sweetness will remain just as it does with red.

I love using this onion jam on sandwiches, especially on a toasted sourdough or a bloomer bread. It tastes great as a spread, and makes a great base for many, many toppings that could be used with it. As I'm a huge fan of mushrooms, especially on toast, it felt just right to combine them together. And the result, it's just an awesome, delicious, filling snack, which will also be a great appetiser, if you have guests around. And that rustic, homey look about them will please your crowds for sure.

When I was a kid, I ate onion just like an apple, or so I'm being told anyway. I also remember that every now and then, when we fancied just a quick and easy family dinner, mum or dad would make fried sausages, followed by huuuuge amounts of lovely, soft, fried onions. Everyone would have a slice of the most delicious sourdough bread to go with it, and it was the best meal ever! In my case, I would normally skip the sausage part, and dive straight into onions. Dunking that bread in these onions was so weirdly satisfying, I do it to this day, mainly when nobody is looking or sitting around me, as it can get messy.

And that unconditional love and appreciation for onion stayed with me, and is still going strong. Although, nowadays, I don't eat it as a whole any more, I still do eat rather large quantities of it...

There are many different recipes for onion jams and marmalades that require at least 50 minutes of cooking time, but my version is much quicker. The reason why, is because I do not like when my onion goes too soft. I like it with still a bit of crunchy texture to it, hence I cook it for about 25 -30 minutes. However, feel free to experiment with cooking times, and see what works for you. Just don't over- cook it, as you may end up with just a mushy mash, and nobody wants to see (or eat) that!  Onion jam will last in the fridge for a long time (2 months easily!), so you can cook a big batch and just store it there for when needed.

So that's all from me for today! Just before I go, if you haven't heard yet, I've recently launched email mini-series with my favourite food photography tips. You can read all about it in this post. And there will be more exciting news coming soon-ish, so make sure to stay tuned!

Until next time!

📖 Recipe

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5 from 1 vote

Red Onion Jam (+ mushrooms on toast)

Super tasty and really easy recipe for red onion jam with mushrooms on toast. Ideal spread for sandwiches or  perfect for cheese and biscuits!

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time25 minutes mins

Total Time30 minutes mins

Course: Snack

Cuisine: Vegan

Servings: 2 people

Calories: 300kcal

Author: Anna

Ingredients

For Red Onion Jam

• ▢ 2 large red onions (sliced)
• ▢ 1 medium garlic clove (crushed)
• ▢ ¼ cup brown sugar
• ▢ ⅓ cup red wine vinegar
• ▢ 2 tablespoon olive oil
• ▢ 1 pinch of salt
• ▢ 1 pinch black pepper

For Mushrooms on Toast

• ▢ 2-4 slices sourdough bread (thick slices work best!)
• ▢ 100 g mushrooms of choice (chopped or sliced)
• ▢ 1-2 tablespoon butter (or vegan spread)
• ▢ 10- 15 fresh basil leaves (optional)
• ▢ 1 pinch of salt
• ▢ 1 pinch black pepper

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Instructions

For Red Onion Jam:

• Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan. Place the sliced onions and garlic in the frying pan, and stir in the brown sugar, salt and pepper. Mix it all gently and leave on a medium heat, until onions are soft and caramelized (about 25- 30 minutes).
• Add red wine vinegar, stir it all together, and bring to boil. Allow to cook for about 5- 10 more minutes, and set aside to cool.
• Once cooled, you can transfer it to a jar, and keep in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

For Mushrooms on Toast with Red Onion Jam:

• Heat the butter in a frying pan and add the mushrooms, salt and pepper. Fry the mushrooms for about 5 minutes until soft and golden brown.
• In a mean time, toast your bread in the toaster or under the grill.
• Spread some of the red onion jam on your bread, top up with mushrooms, and add some fresh basil leaves (optional). Enjoy!

Please note that all my recipes are developed and tested in metric grams. I recommend that you use digital scales for a more accurate results. I have provided a conversion to US customary in the recipe but please note that I haven’t tested using this method.

Nutrition

Calories: 300kcal

Did you make this?Tell me how you like it? Leave a comment or take a picture and tag @anna_wierzbinska on Instagram. I love seeing your take on my recipes!