Onion Marmalade

Onion Marmalade

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Onion Marmalade is a revelation. It is made with onions that are caramelized and turned into a thick, gooey, delicious treat that you can spread on grilled bread, spoon into baked potatoes, drip on latkes, soft cheese or a juicy steak . Every onion is unique. They have varying degrees of sugar and water in them. In general, making Onion Marmalade takes about an hour. Yes, you can buy this in a store; but my philosophy is: why buy something if you can make at home!

The back story to this recipe brings back so many memories. We were in Capetown, South Africa when we first enjoyed Onion Marmalade many years ago. Our travel agent had arranged for us to have a Chef’s tasting lunch in his home with a bunch of other people we had never met. The Chef was informed we were kosher and so he made substitutions for us wherever he could. This marmalade was served with cheese and crackers. The Chef was generous enough to give me a general idea of how he made it. The details, I had to figure out for myself. Hope you enjoy it as much as we did and do! For another recipe based on onions, click on the link for Onion Soup.

Prep time: 20 minutes

Onion Marmalade

By Gloria Kobrin Published: December 2, 2015

  • Yield:

  • about 2 cups

Ingredients

  • 8 cups 4-5 yellow onions peeled, cored and thinly sliced
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 1 tablespoon honey mustard
  • 3 tablespoons dark brown sugar firmly packed
  • 1/4 cup Balsamic Vinegar
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

Equipment

  • 1 large heavy skillet
  • 1 tongs or long handled wooden spoon

Directions

  1. Pour oil into skillet. Add onions and all remaining ingredients except for the salt. Stir well with a wooden spoon or tongs. Turn the heat on low.. Let this mixture slowly cook for 30 minutes. Give the pan a shake after 15 minutes. Stir onions. Add salt and stir again. The onions will begin to cook a little faster once the salt is added.
  2. Cook over low heat for another 30 minutes. Check onions for dryness. Add about 1/4 cup of water at a time and stir well. Repeat this process until the onions get softer and are a rich brown in color. When they look like marmalade and are very soft when pressed with the back of the wooden spoon, they are done. Taste carefully, The marmalade is very hot. Add more salt or a dash more balsamic according to your taste. Let marmalade cool before spooning into a container and refrigerating. Use as a condiment for slices of grilled baguette, with crackers and cheese, with latkes, steak, inside a baked potato- or just as a treat in a spoon!