Smoky Bacon Tomato Jam

After picking up two flats of tomatoes from Jamie at Serendipity Farm in Carmel, earlier this week, I pondered what to make. Initially, I had thought I'd make a basic sugo to use as a pasta sauce base. Then, I realized that I wanted to be a little bit more adventurous. I've made Tomato Jam. And I've made Bacon Jam. But, I've never made a Bacon-Tomato Jam! 

I added a little culinary intrigue with black garlic (click to read about it), smoked paprika, smoked sea salt, and local bacon odds and ends from Baker's Bacon. A word of warning: this is concentrated stuff. So tasty, but a little bit goes a long, long way.

Ingredients

• 4 pounds tomatoes, diced
• 1-1/2 C bacon, diced
• 4 cloves black garlic, thinly sliced*
• 1 t smoked sea salt*
• 1/2 t freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 C organic dark brown sugar
• 1 t hot sauce (I used Garlic Goodness from Intensity Academy)
• 1 T smoked paprika
• 3 T vinegar (I used a white balsamic)

Procedure

In a large, flat-bottom pan, cook the bacon until the fat is rendered but the bacon isn't yet crispy. Stir in the remaining ingredients  and turn the heat up to high. Cook until the sugar is dissolved, then reduce the heat to a simmer.

Cook, uncovered, until the mixture has thickened, approximately one hour. Let cool slightly then blend until desired texture. Spoon jam into sterile lidded jars and store in the refrigerator. Use within two weeks.

*This blog currently has a partnership with Amazon.com in their affiliate program, which gives me a small percentage of sales if you buy a product through a link on my blog. I will only recommend products that I have used and loved...not for any compensation unless otherwise noted in the blog post. If you are uncomfortable with this, feel free to go directly to Amazon.com and search for the item on your own.