Red onion jam

This recipe for confettura di cipolle rosse makes a sweet jam that goes well with strong cheeses and is delicious with burgers. Recipe and image by Mario Matassa

red onion jam

Makes 4 x 250g jars of jam
Preparation time 10 minutes, plus 1 hour resting
Cooking time 45 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1kg red onions, peeled

• 2 bay leaves

• 2 cinnamon sticks

• 100g sultanas

• 600g caster sugar

• ½ tsp salt

• 250ml white wine

• 250ml white wine vinegar

Instructions:

1 Chop the onions in half, then slice them into 5mm rounds. Place in a large saucepan with the bay leaves, cinnamon sticks, sultanas, sugar and ½ tsp salt. Mix everything together and leave to rest for one hour.  

2 After resting, you will notice that the onions have released a lot of juice. Place the pan on the heat and bring to the boil. Once boiling, add the white wine and leave to evaporate for 3-4 minutes over a high heat. 

3 Lower the heat to moderate, then add the white wine vinegar. Leave to boil for about 40 minutes until the liquid has thickened and become syrupy. Keep an eye on the pot as you do not want it to get too thick because when it cools it will thicken even more and become difficult to spoon.

4 When ready, carefully spoon the hot jam into clean, sterilised jars and place the lids securely on top. Store the jars in a cool, dark place.

Find more Italian preserve ideas here

You can find plenty more delicious Italian-inspired recipes here