This easy, flavor-packed Balsamic Onion Jam is a must-make if you love having something special on hand to instantly elevate everyday meals. It's safe for water bath canning and adds rich, savory-sweet depth to everything from cheese boards and burgers to roasted vegetables and sandwiches.
If you've never heard of onion jam, you're seriously missing out. I'm a huge fan of savory preserves, and this one is a longtime favorite in our house. Sweet onions simmered with tangy balsamic vinegar and maple syrup create a rich, sweet-savory jam that instantly elevates everyday meals, whether you're serving it with cheese and crackers or piling it onto burgers and grilled chicken sandwiches.
This recipe was originally adapted from Ball Canning and is safe for water bath canning. Be sure to follow safe canning practices as outlined by the National Center for Home Food Preservation.
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What is water bath canning?
Canning is simply the process of applying adequate heat to high acid food that is sealed in jars for the allotted time necessary to kill off bacteria and micro-organisms that cause food spoilage. During heating, oxygen is driven out of the jars, causing a vacuum seal to form when the jars cool down. This prevents any outside micro-organisms and oxygen from getting back into the food. When done correctly, canning preserves food safely for at least a year, although probably much, much longer.
You can check out my guide on How to Safely Water Bath Can at Home more resources on safe home preserving.
Safe canning resources.
If you are new to canning you can find great resources, recipes and tutorials at Ball Canning and the National Center for Home Food Preservation.
You can also check out my guide on How to Water Bath Can at Home.
More preserving recipes for you to enjoy.
Equipment
For the Balsamic Onion Jam.
- Large pot
- Cutting board and knife
- Measuring cups and spoons
Fort water bath canning.
- Mason jars: Make sure the jars are clean and that the lids are brand new. You cannot reuse canning lids.
- Large pot with rack OR Electric Canner: If you only can once in a while using a large pot with a canning rack works just fine. As someone who personally does a lot of canning and I absolutely LOVE my Ball FreshTech Electric Canner.
- Jar lifter: You will need a jar lifter to remove the hot jars from the water bath.
- Funnel: I personally love this canning funnel because it also allows you to measure the headspace easily.
- Ladle: This Prepworks Canning Scoop is my favorite.
Ingredients
- Sweet onions: I like using Vidalia onions.
- Balsamic vinegar: Check to make sure it's diluted to a minimum of 5% acidity.
- Maple syrup: Look for pure maple syrup rather than pancake syrup for this recipe. It makes a huge difference.
- Bay leaf
- Black pepper
- Salt
- Apple juice: I recommend using 100% organic apple juice for this recipe.
- Low/no sugar pectin: For this recipe you'll need to use a Pectin that works for lower sugar jam recipes. I recommend Sure-Jell Premium Light Fruit Pectin but other brands work as well.
More recipes to check out.
Made this Balsamic Onion Jam? Let me know what you think in the comments!
Recipe
Balsamic Onion Jam
Equipment
- Large pot
- Cutting board and knife
- Water bath canning equipment see notes above
Ingredients
- 2 lb sweet onions, diced
- ½ cup balsamic vinegar diluted to at least 5% acidity
- ½ cup pure maple syrup
- 1.5 teaspoon salt
- 1.5 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 cups apple juice organic recommended
- 3 tablespoon Low or No-sugar pectin
- ½ cup white granulated sugar
Instructions
- In a large pot combine onions, balsamic vinegar, maple syrup, salt, pepper and 1 bay leaf.Cook over medium heat for about 10-15 minutes until the onions are translucent, stirring occasionally.
- Add in apple juice and pectin and stir to combine. Turn heat to high and bring to a rolling boil. Then add sugar all at once and bring the mixture back to a full rolling boil that cannot be stirred down. Boil at this level for 1 minute then remove the pot from the heat. At this point you can either spoon the jam into jars and place them in the fridge or can them using the instructions below.
Water bath canning instructions.
- Ladle the jam into 7-8 half pint jars leaving about ¼th to ⅓rd inch of headspace.Remove air bubbles and wipe the jar rims.Place on new, clean lids and bands and process in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes (adjusting time for altitude).Turn off the heat and allow the jars to rest in the warm water for 5 minutes before removing and placing on a towel on the counter (do not place directly on the counter).Allow the jars to cool undisturbed for about 24 hours until all the lids have sealed.Store sealed jars in a cool dry place for 12-18 months for best quality.*Note* If any of the jars do not seal simply store in the refrigerator and consume within 10-14 days.
Louise Quinn
Hi I tried this recipe today. I used 2 tsp of white ground pepper. I tasted the mix just before I put into jars and the flavour almost blew my head off... like maybe too much pepper or balsamic too strong.. just wondering if this flavour changes, do the jars need to sit for a few weeks? Many thanks
jamjarkitchen
Hi Louise, so I personally am not a fan of white ground pepper. I find the flavor too strong and sort of unappealing. That’s why this recipe calls for 1.5 tsp of black ground pepper. I can’t really speak to whether or not the white pepper will mellow with time. But I recommend if you try this recipe again using black pepper, I find it much more delicious!
C Beard
I wonder why you cut the amount of onions in half, but left the rest of the recipe as it was written in the Ball Canning book. I realize you stated it had been modified, but has the modified recipe been safety tested? Also, maybe the reduced onion content has something to do with why the flavor seems so strong?
jamjarkitchen
Hi there- My apologies! The recipe should say 2 lb of onions but for some reason it was logged as 1 lb. I have made the adjustment and I'm very sorry that your preserves tasted too strong. In terms of safety as long as you use 2.5 lb of onions or less that level of acidity is enough to ensure a water bath canning safe product. It is the onions that lower the acidity level so only using 1 lb (rather than 2) with the same amount of vinegar will actually have a higher acidity than if you used 2 lb.
Scott
What should the consistency of the liquid be after boiling. I cooked a lot longer than called for and seems a little thin still. Will it thicken as it sits canned?
jamjarkitchen
Hi Scott- The consistency of the jam after boiling will seem very liquidy and it should easily pour into the jars. It will thicken as it sits, and usually takes about 24-48 hours to set completely. However, I do not recommend boiling for much longer than the time specified in the recipe. This jam is thickened by the added pectin not through reduction. If you boil the jam for too long after adding the pectin it can actually scorch the pectin and cause the jam not to set. If that happens the jam is still safe to eat and can be used as a sauce or marinade. But there's not really a way to re-cook it to thicken if the pectin has been scorched. Hope this helps and let me know if you have any other questions!
Scott
Hi, yes it kind of does. After it sets in the jars should ot be thick like jam? Or not so much? I think may have done what you said not to lol
Erika
Can you double the recipe? Will it still set properly?
jamjarkitchen
Hi Erika- for this particular recipe I personally don’t recommend it. I’ve doubled it and found the set to be a bit a off about half of the time. I’ll try to work on a fool proof to get up on the blog soon. Thanks!
April
Do you think apple cider in place of apple juice would work?
jamjarkitchen
Yes, absolutely!
Amy
Thank you so much for the comments on this recipe! I tried it today for the first time from the Ball cookbook and was so upset when it was so thin. I’ll wait the recommended 48 hours to see if it sets. I appreciate the work you put into this post!
Lisa Morano
I tried this recipe for the first time yesterday and am happy to report it appears to have set beautifully in about 36 hours. I used quarter cup jars (part of a condiment holiday mailing for family) and it yielded 9 jars. I would like to make more but not so much - can this recipe be halved?
jamjarkitchen
Yes, the recipe can be halved. 🙂
Carol
Can I can it in pints instead of half pints?
jamjarkitchen
Yes, it just may take a little longer to fully set. So just give it a couple of days. 🙂
Shannon
The recipe says to adjust for altitude, but what is your altitude for comparison so we know how much to adjust the altitude? I pressure can at 15 instead of 10 bc of my altitude, for instance.
jamjarkitchen
I’m at about 600 above sea level. The standard calculation is to add about 1 minute of processing time per 1,000 feet above sea level (after the first thousand feet). So if you’re at 5,000 feet you want to add an additional 4-5 minutes in the boiling water bath. Hope this helps!
Also, just wanted to point out that this recipe calls for water bath canning rather than pressure canning.Enjoy!
Tess
Hello,
All I can find is 6% balsamic vingegar. How do you dilute it to 5% acidity?
jamjarkitchen
no need to dilute! 6% works fine. 5% is just the minimum, anything with high acidity also works.
Tess
Hello, Sounds de-lish! And the first crop of this year's vidalias just arrived at the market, However, I can't find any Balsamic vinegar less than 6%, nor any instructions on how to reduce/dilute it to 5% or less. Please let me know where I can either find 5% or less, or how to dilute 6% to 5% or less. Otherwise, I will be unable to make this yummy-sounding recipe. Many thanks!
jamjarkitchen
Hi Tess- 6% works great! Anything higher than 5% is what you need to get the right acidity for safe water bath canning. Most vinegars are diluted to 5% or more, but there are a few artisan vinegars on the market that dilute to 3-4% which isn't a safe level for canning. That's why I make that distinction. But you should be good to go!
Jubilee
Can I use honey instead of maple syrup?
jamjarkitchen
Hi Jubilee - Technically yes, it won't affect the canning process. However, honey does tend to have quite a strong flavor and it would not be my first choice for this recipe.
Tess
Hello,
The recipe sounds de-lish. However, I am a bit confused. In the first part of the recipe it states that it yields 5 half pints. However, in the canning instructions, it states to prepare 7-8 half-pint jars. Which is correct? Also, do you have a personal preference for using apple cider vinegar vs. apple cider. Thanks!
Becky
Thoughts on substituting the bay leaf with thyme leaves?
jamjarkitchen
If you're a fan of thyme, as I am :), I'd say it'd probably be delicious. I recommend throwing a couple stalks of fresh thyme in through the cooking process and then removing them before canning. I think that would give you a good flavor without being too overpowering. However, if you want to throw in some chopped thyme or even dried thyme that would work too. Let me know what you think!
Pam
Would it be possible to remove the syrup and not replace it with anything?
jamjarkitchen
I wouldn’t recommend removing the syrup entirely if you plan to water bath can, since the sugar in it helps with both preservation and the final texture. Without it, I’m not 100% sure the jam would gel properly or be shelf-stable. If you’d like to experiment without the syrup, you could still make it and store it in the fridge for a couple of weeks, just know the flavor, texture, and set might be different. Hope you enjoy!
Shannon
Hi! Will thin sliced onions work instead of the diced onions?
jamjarkitchen
Hi there - I haven't tried it with thinly sliced onions but I imagine they would work pretty much the same. If you give it a go let me know how it turns out. Hope you enjoy!
Viv
I tried this recipe and it’s more like onion juice than jam. I even tried adding extra pectin. What a waste of my afternoon.
jamjarkitchen
Hi Viv - I’m sorry it didn’t turn out the way you hoped. Did you happen to follow the instructions exactly? The most common issue with this recipe is using regular pectin instead of the no- or low-sugar pectin as specified. They behave very differently. If regular pectin is used, even adding extra won’t help it set properly.
If you used the correct pectin and still had trouble, I’m happy to help troubleshoot!