Caramelized onion jam and bacon jam are what you reach for when a burger, a grilled cheese, or a cheese board needs a savory-sweet hit. Done right it's onions (or bacon) cooked down a long time with vinegar and a little sugar until they're almost black and spoonable. These independents cook it slow.
Published July 2026 · Updated 7 Jul 2026
This founder-run Florida maker does the savory-jam category as well as anyone shipping direct: a Balsamic Onion Jam, plus bacon jams in Hot Pepper and Apple Maple. Thick, glossy, and built for burgers, sliders, and baked brie.
Why it isn't on AmazonA bacon jam cooked with real rendered bacon and a balsamic onion jam from the same small kitchen give you range you will not find on a grocery shelf.
See it at Terrapin Ridge Farms →The Vermont preservery makes its onion jam three ways — a straight Caramelized Onion Savory Jam, a French Onion with Rosemary, and a Maple Onion — all cooked down into the same dark, savory-sweet spread you'd want on a steak sandwich or a board of hard cheese.
Why it isn't on AmazonThree distinct onion jams from one small family batchery is the kind of range only a maker obsessed with the category bothers to make.
See it at Blake Hill Preserves →This seat's open on purpose — we won't pad the list to hit a number. If you ship real onion & bacon jam direct, it's earned, not sold.
Add your brand →Caramelized onions are just onions cooked slow until sweet and brown; onion jam takes that further, cooking them down with vinegar and a little sugar into a thick, spreadable, shelf-stable preserve. The vinegar gives it a jam's tang and lets it keep. It's caramelized onions you can spoon out of a jar.
Spread it on a burger or a BLT, spoon it over a wheel of baked brie, fold it into deviled eggs or a grilled cheese, or serve it straight on a cracker with sharp cheese. It's rich and savory-sweet, so a thin layer does the work. Warm it slightly and it spreads more easily.
Sealed jars are shelf-stable until you open them. Once opened, refrigerate and use within a couple of weeks — bacon jam especially, since it contains meat. It firms up cold, so let it sit out a few minutes or warm it gently before spreading.
Plain caramelized onion and balsamic onion jams are vegetarian (check for any added meat stock on the label). Bacon jam is not — it's built on real bacon. If you want the savory-sweet hit without meat, reach for the onion versions; Blake Hill's three onion jams are all meat-free.
Make or grow real onion & bacon jam and think you belong here? Tell us → — features are on merit, never for sale.
Some "see it at…" links are affiliate links — if you buy through one, 5best2buy may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. It never costs the maker anything, and it never decides who makes the list. The list is the list.
© 2026 5best2buy · Worth The Hunt · No.506