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Roasted Garlic Onion Jam by Stonewall Kitchen, sweet and savory

Roasted Garlic Onion Jam by Stonewall Kitchen is a savory spread made from cane sugar, onions, and roasted garlic, thickened with fruit pectin. Onions make up more than a quarter of the recipe, and the balsamic vinegar provides the acidity that keeps everything in balance.

Roasted Garlic Onion Jam is the savory onion jam from Stonewall Kitchen in the coastal town of York, Maine, intended for cheese, burgers, and cold cuts. Cane sugar leads the list, followed by fruit pectin and roasted garlic. Balsamic and spirit vinegar provide the edge.

Sweet in the jar, savory on bread

Dark brown and thick, it sits in the jar with soft pieces of onion, and it smells sweetly of slow-cooked food.

The cane sugar provides the sweetness, but the onions lead the flavor profile, losing their sharpness during the cooking process and becoming dark and mild. The roasted garlic adds a warm, almost nutty depth underneath, and the two vinegars cut clearly through the sweetness.

On bread, it tastes both sweet and savory, setting it apart from everything else Stonewall Kitchen puts in a jar. A spoonful stays on the knife and spreads like a thick preserve.

For cheese, burgers, and cold roasts

Its stage is the savory side of the table, wherever sweet seasoning is called for.

On a cheese board, it sits next to mountain cheese, goat cheese, and cream cheese on a cracker; on a burger, it takes the place of ketchup; and with steak, it steps in for barbecue sauce. For fondue, raclette, and boiled ham, it provides the same sweet seasoning. It also finds its place in a roast beef sandwich or under a fried egg on Sunday morning.

Spread it thinly on bread, add a slice of cheese, and your appetizer is ready. Stirred warmly into braised meat or baked in a goat cheese quiche, it shows its second side. It offers the same sweet counterpoint to fried blood sausage or a slice of Leberkäse.

Why pectin turns onions into preserves

Pectin is the substance that makes jam set, and it is found primarily in apples and citrus peels. In an ordinary jam, the fruit brings it along itself; here, it is added.

Because no fruit is cooked into this recipe, the pectin is added from the outside, giving the mixture that jam-like consistency that stays put on the bread. This very texture turns a simple compote into a stable spread.

The garlic is roasted before simmering, losing its biting sharpness and becoming sweet and soft instead. At Stonewall Kitchen, it makes up only a small part of the recipe yet distinctly shapes the flavor.

A spoonful next to the mountain cheese

Cheese, crackers, and a glass of red on a board, friends at the table: that is where it belongs, a spoonful next to the mountain cheese, and everyone digs in. Once opened, the jar keeps for several weeks in the fridge. For those expecting guests with little time to spare, simply serve the open jar right on the board.

For something fruitier and fresher, try the Apple Cranberry Chutney. Both can be found under Chutney and Onion Preserves and in the complete Stonewall Kitchen assortment.