This tomato and bacon jam can be enjoyed in many ways. It’s perfect alongside cheeses, grilled meats, or even in sandwiches. You can also use it as a topping for appetizers or canapés. Its unique blend of sweetness and saltiness makes it a condiment that will pleasantly surprise your taste buds with every bite. So go ahead—give it a try and bring a bold new flavor to your kitchen creations.

A Handcrafted Invention Turned Cult Favorite

This recipe is inspired by a trend from the Southern United States: “bacon jams” — savory preserves made with smoked bacon, onions, and brown sugar.
Here, the recipe gets a twist with fire-roasted tomatoes and apple cider vinegar.
This jam is perfect for adding a BBQ touch to your dishes, without directly cooking meat. It keeps very well in sterilized jars in the fridge, and the flavor intensifies over time.

⏱️ Time

Prep: 10 min
Cook: 30 min
Total: 40 min

🧂 Ingredients

6 ripe tomatoes
1 large onion or 2 small ones
300 g sliced bacon
¼ cup cane sugar
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp sweet paprika
½ cup apple cider vinegar
1 tsp red pepper flakes

👨‍🍳 Instructions

Fire up your BBQ for direct high-heat cooking.
Throw a handful of smoking chips onto the coals.
Place the tomatoes directly on the coals to char them, turning every 30–45 seconds.
Remove the tomatoes and chop them into chunks.
In a cast-iron skillet, cook the bacon until crispy.
Remove the bacon, keep the rendered fat, and sauté the onions in it until translucent.
Add the chopped tomatoes, bacon, and all remaining ingredients.
Simmer over low heat for 30 minutes.
Once the mixture reaches a jam-like consistency, blend until smooth.
Pour into sterilized jars. Store in the fridge (keeps 2 to 3 weeks).

🍽️ Serving Suggestions

Serve this jam with ribs, steaks, foie gras, aged cheeses, burgers, or even spread on toast as an appetizer.
It also works great as a base for a sweet-and-savory vinaigrette or a homemade BBQ sauce.

🥗 Dietary Variations

✅ For a lighter version: replace sugar with xylitol or allulose.
🌱 For a vegetarian version: substitute bacon with crispy smoked tofu.
🔥 For more heat: add chipotle or a dash of smoked Tabasco.

🍽️ Nutrition Facts (per 25 g)

Nutrient	Amount	% DV*
Calories	67 kcal	3.4%
Total Fat	3.8 g	5.4%
Saturated Fat	1.3 g	6.5%
Omega-3	0.1 g	—
Carbohydrates	5.4 g	2.1%
Sugars	4.2 g	4.7%
Fiber	0.8 g	3.2%
Protein	2.2 g	4.4%
Sodium	0.37 g	6.2%
Cholesterol	7 mg	2.3%
Calcium	6 mg	0.6%
Iron	0.3 mg	2.1%
Vitamin B12	0.2 µg	8%

*DV: Daily Value based on a 2,000 kcal diet

🧬 Health Sheet – Cancer + Diabetes

💡

🥗 Is this recipe healthy?

This jam is rich in flavor and energy-dense. It contains sugar, bacon, and vinegar, but also tomatoes and onions with beneficial properties. When used sparingly as a condiment, it adds great aromatic complexity without major nutritional drawbacks. The slow simmering and blending process helps limit the harmful effects of high-temperature browning.

🧬 Click to expand

🧪 Cancer Impact
Bacon, as a processed and smoked meat, is classified as a Group 1 carcinogen by the WHO. However, in this recipe, the quantity is minimal and it is cooked separately, without direct flame contact. The rest of the ingredients (tomatoes, onions, vinegar, paprika) provide protective and anti-inflammatory compounds. Grilled tomatoes may contain small amounts of HCAs if the skins are overly charred — so charring should be kept moderate. This condiment should be enjoyed occasionally rather than frequently.

💉 Diabetes Impact
The added sugar (¼ cup), combined with the natural sugars from tomatoes, remains moderate for a jam. The presence of acid (vinegar) and fiber (from onions and tomatoes) helps lower the glycemic index. When used in small quantities (1 tablespoon per serving), this recipe is compatible with a diabetic diet. Bacon fat doesn’t directly affect blood glucose but does increase caloric density.

Consume this jam as a condiment (1–2 tablespoons), not a main side dish.
Healthier tip: Replace bacon with a smoked plant-based protein for a lighter version.