Kelly the Culinarian: Cooking with Kelly: Crock Pot Caramelized Onion Jam Recipe

Saturday, April 12, 2014

Cooking with Kelly: Crock Pot Caramelized Onion Jam Recipe

Every now and again, I have to marvel at modern technology. My cell phone has more processing power than the computers that sent the first astronauts to the moon. I can track my speed and distance while running using a watch harnessing satellites in space. Not only did my job managing social media not exist five years ago, social media in its current state did not exist at all when I graduated high school.

In addition to all these crazy and strange advanced, perhaps my favorite item that adds ease and overall deliciousness to my life is my crock pot. Throw a bunch of stuff in, let it run and ding dinner's done when you get home. It's the working woman's modern marvel.

This time, I set out to make something cheffy and gourmet. It's amazing how easily you can fake a fancy meal with a crock pot. I pulled out my baby 1.5-quart slow cooker and chopped up three cheapo yellow onions, added the remaining ingredients and let it all slowly meld together for hours on low.

The only downside: The house reeked of onions for the entirety. It didn't bother me initially until we left the house for a while and then returned. The smell was overpowering, and made me starving. However, if that's the only ill affect I experienced and have this delicious savory jam to smooth on sandwiches and grilled entrees, it's a fair trade. Done deal!
Crock Pot Carmelized Onion Jam Recipe
3 large onions, diced into small, uniform chunks
1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 Tablespoon olive oil

Spray the crock pot with a cooking spray, then place all the ingredients inside. Stir to coat the onions with the oil and vinegar. Cook on low for eight hours, stirring as needed if you're at home. I personally recommend removing the lid after eight hours, stirring and cooking on low uncovered for another hour to allow the moisture to escape. For me, this created a more jam-like texture that I've found particularly satisfying on grilled pizzas, paninis and broiled fish.

4 comments:

CabotRD said...

Nice cutting board :)

I bet this would be SO yum on crostini with a little melted cheddar over the top. Great recipe!

Unknown said...

You're starting to convince me that I need multiple sizes of slow cookers. I only have a giant size and the last time I tried to caramelize onions in it I burnt most of them. Sounds like the smaller one is the way to go!

TraderJ said...

Sounds delicious! How long can you store it for in the fridge?

KellytheCulinarian said...

Mine was gone in a week! Any longer than that and I would recommend freezing it.