Onion marmalade? For Christmas? You bet. Gift recipients will love this delicious sweet and savory onion condiment that’s slowly cooked to release all the natural sweetness. Its flavor also gets some help from raisins and brown sugar and a little tang from balsamic vinegar.
Sweet onion marmalade goes particularly well with ham and pork, but a naked hamburger or hot dog would also savor its cover. Don’t overlook it as an appetizer on crostini or Melba toast. And, yeah, you could just slather it on French bread.
Sweet Onion Marmalade
Preparation time: 35 minutes
Cooking time: 2 hours
Yield: 6 cups
6 pounds (about 9 large) Vidalia or other sweet onions
1-1/2 cups water
1 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup brown sugar
4 teaspoons paprika (not hot)
2-1/2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons caraway seed
1/2 teaspoon pepper
Peel and trim the onions. Cut them in half lengthwise and then cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Separate the slices into individual pieces.
Combine the onions and the water, raisins, vinegar, brown sugar, paprika, salt, caraway seed, and pepper in a large saucepot. Bring the liquid to a boil and then reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover the pot and simmer for 1-1/2 to 1-3/4 hours, until the onions are very tender. Stir often in the beginning and then less frequently when the onions start to reduce in volume.
When the onions are very tender, increase the heat to medium-high and reduce the liquid to about 1/2 cup, stirring if necessary.
Cool the marmalade slightly. Ladle into jars that have been thoroughly washed with hot, soapy water. Cover with clean lids. The marmalade keeps in the refrigerator for 2 weeks.
You can divide the recipe into half-pint or pint jars depending on how many gifts you need. Quantities can vary each time you make this recipe due to variations in produce, so have an extra jar or two on hand.
Tell the recipient of the marmalade that the marmalade must be kept refrigerated.