Balsamic Shallot Jam is a powerhouse of a condiment that's super easy to make and can be used in so many different ways! You'll love it!
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I want you to promise me that you'll make Balsamic Shallot Jam soon! It's so easy to make (takes a bit, but mostly hands off time) and it's so good on so many things!
I am proof positive that the old saying about your taste buds changing every seven years is very very true. I spent the first 30 years of my life picking onions out of things, and proudly exclaimed at any and every opportunity how much I hated them.
I’m honestly not sure what changed. I know that it was around the time of my first food blog, so sometime in 2009 or so I caramelized my first onion and my entire world opened up.
Other Recipes You'll Love
- Caramelized Onion and Goat Cheese Flatbread
- Elote Pizza
- Roasted Delicata Squash and Red Onions
Ingredients Needed
- Shallots
- Salt
- Balsamic Vinegar
- White Sugar

Crying While Cutting Shallots
You'll be cutting a LOT of shallots for this recipe. You can (mostly) avoid onion eyes by trying a few of the following ideas.
Buy the largest shallots you can find - the less you have to chop, the less chopping you have to do.
Place the shallots in the freezer for 30 minutes before chopping.
Make sure your knife is as sharp as possible before starting to chop the shallots.
Wear glasses (or onion googles!)
Ways to Use Shallot Jam
- On pasta
- On toast
- On grilled cheese sandwiches
- Add to a charcuterie board
What's the Difference Between Shallots and Onions?
Shallots and Onions are both part of the Allium family which also encompasses leeks, garlic, chives and green onions. Shallots grow in clustered bulbs like garlic as opposed to single bulbs as onions do. They're also generally sweeter and more mild. They can be used interchangeably up to a point. A good rule to follow is to use half as much shallot as onion if you're using them as a building block in a dish.

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Balsamic Shallot Jam
Ingredients
- 2 pounds of shallots peeled and sliced
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup sugar
- 4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
Instructions
- In a large saucepan over medium heat, add enough vegetable oil to coat the bottom of the pan. Add the shallots and sprinkle with the salt.
- Cover the pan, and let the shallots cook down for about 10 minutes, stirring every few minutes. At the end they should be light pink and very soft.
- Remove the lid, drop the heat to low, and stir in the sugar, along with a tablespoon or so of water. Continue cooking over low heat, stirring occasionally for 45 minutes, or until the shallots get very dark and jammy. If they start to stick to the bottom of the pan at any time, just add a few teaspoons of water to unstick them.
- Stir in the vinegar, and let the shallots continue to cook for another 10-15 minutes.
- Taste, and add salt or sugar if you feel it needs it.
- Let cool to room temp, and then jar and refrigerate.
Notes
- Jam will keep for 2-3 weeks in the fridge.
- If the jam gets too thick to spread after refrigeration, you can thin it out with a little bit of water.
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